Room 205
by NobleMETA
Summary: Once upon a time, 12 fanfic writers met, wrote a fanfic, and became Legion205! Join RWBY and JNPR. Eight college students, one dormitory flat, and a world of insanity. Hold onto your butts, it's one wild ride, and it's not your typical college AU. It's even better! Written by some of your favorite idiots!
1. Pandora's Box

Chapter One: Pandora's Box

 **AN: NobleMETA: Hey guys, got a really ridiculous idea that involves a monkey, spaceships, and lots and lots of cocaine. This is a collaboration between myself, GhostPhoenix113, angelsixtwofive, Phoenix Commander, and TheDarkenedRose, with some ideas being contributed courtesy of my fiance (SylverLining) and Shadow Nightblade. As this is a collaboration, some sections of the chapters will be written differently than others. Any complaints need to be sent to Phoenix Commander, and they must be submitted in hand-written triplicate (Calligraphy not accepted). Hope you enjoy this bout of pure, unprocessed, cocaine induced insanity!**

 **angelsixtwofive: This coke is great!**

 **GhostPhoenix113: You're welcome!**

 **TheDarkenedRose: I hope you enjoy our totally amazing and fucked up story. We put a lot of… "love" into it… :D**

 **Phoenix Commander: We're not sorry. But in all seriousness I am the complaint department, so feel free to complain to me and I'll answer what I can without spoiling.**

* * *

 **RUBY**

Ruby was looking out the passenger window of her sister's car as they drove to Patch University. Her teachers thought she had the skills (Ruby would have said luck) to graduate early. Ruby was looking forward to her time at university, but she did question why she had been given the chance to do so. The subtle click of the radio being turned off pulled the daydreaming redhead from her thoughts.

"You seem distracted Rubes what's on your mind?" Ruby's sister asked, though she had already guessed the answer.

"Nothing Yang, just thinking about everything that's happened over the last few months." Ruby replied, looking away from the window to face her sister. She hadn't avoided the question she was thinking about the couple months. In her eyes she was only a B student with only one consistent A in engineering. " _Apparently that one A was enough to bump me up a year."_ She thought silently, as Yang pulled her car into the parking garage.

"Look at it this way, you'll be able to meet new friends. This is gonna be a whole new adventure." Yang said, getting out of her car and starting to walk in the direction of a building.

"Adventure right…" Ruby sighed, as she opened her door and stepped out.

"Come on slow poke! We need to check in with the guys that deal with housing. The dorm building is this one here!" Yang called out, there was a smirk on her face as she saw Ruby turn a little red. She was almost as red as the sweater that her mother had given her. If there was one thing her little sister did not like it was being called slow.

"Yang, start running!" Ruby shouted, starting to chase after her sister. Even though she had a head start Ruby was not going to let her sister beat her in a race. Two of them sprinted for the door of the building, by the time the victor had been decided Yang was out of breath and Ruby had beaten her to the door of the building by ten seconds.

"W-why d-do I al-always challenge you?" Yang gasped, leaning against the building until she had gotten her breathing under control.

"I have no idea. I would've thought you'd stop challenging the fastest member of our high school track team." Ruby said, with a smirk as she opened the door into the building.

When it was their turn in to be called up to the desk the housing representative glanced at them. "Hi I'm Yang Xiao Long." Yang said, still slightly out of breath.

"I'm Ruby, Ruby Rose. We're both in room 205." The redhead replied cheerily, she was still enjoying the moment of beating her sister in a race.

"I'm Reese nice to meet you, I'm one of the RAs for the building. Now let me see here, Rose…Xiao Long…found you on the list. All you'll need to do now is fill out these forms and these are your room keys, please don't lose them. Last person who did had a heart to heart chat with our supervisor Ms. Goodwitch." The gold and red dressed pair noticed, the slight shudder that accompanied Reese's warning.

"Ok we'll make sure to keep hold of them Reese." Yang said motioning for her sister to follow her back to the car so they could start bringing their belongings to their room.

It took them 30 minutes to get their belongings from Yang's car and up to their dorm room. It was situated with a common area and a kitchen, with the rooms branching off from them. "Looks like someone already beat us here Yang." Ruby said, after opening the door of room 205 and seeing that one of the doors to the other rooms was open.

"Must've moved in earlier today." The blonde said, walking past Ruby and into room B.

"Either that or they were here earlier this week 'cause of practice for one of the sports." Ruby added, carrying her suitcase into room A. "Time to start unpacking."

* * *

 **YANG**

Yang was beside herself with joy. She had finally graduated from High school and would be attending Patch. After a few incidences a few years ago that caused her to be held back, she felt as if she was going to be left behind. Yang was proven wrong, she was going to a prestigious university alongside her sister. Who she couldn't be happier for, especially after she had graduated a year early.

"You seem distracted Rubes what's on your mind?" Yang asked, as she turned off the radio that they had been listening to. " _Probably wondering why you? And worried about leaving your friends a year early."_ She thought, as soon as she voiced the question.

"Nothing Yang, just thinking about everything that's happened over the last few months." Her sister replied, looking away from the window to face Yang.

" _Yup, I was right. I hate it when I'm right."_ Yang thought, she pulled her car into the dorm's parking garage. It was her graduation present, a black and gold Camaro. "Look at it this way, you'll be able to meet new friends. This is gonna be a whole new adventure." Yang said, getting out of the car and starting to walk in the direction of the dorm building.

"Adventure right…" Ruby sighed, as she opened her door and stepped out.

" _Oh no! You are not gonna be frowning today! I know…"_ Yang thought, when she heard the mumbled comment. "Come on slow poke! We need to check in with the guys that deal with housing. The dorm building is this one here!" Yang called out, there was a smirk on her face when Ruby went red. " _I'll be winded after this but at least you'll be smiling."_

"Yang! Start running!" Ruby shouted, starting to chase after her sister.

" _I have a head start but that means nothing."_ Yang thought, as she turned to start sprinting in the direction of the building. When she was only a hundred feet from the doors Yang felt a slight breeze brush past her as Ruby sprinted past after closing the distance between them. As she made it to the steps Yang could see a smile on her little sister's face. " _Much better."_ She thought, hiding her own smile before speaking. "W-why d-do I al-always challenge you?" Yang gasped, leaning against the building until she had gotten her breathing under control.

"I have no idea. I would've thought you'd stop challenging the fastest member of our high school track team." Ruby said, still smiling as she opened the door to the building.

When it was their turn in to be called up to the desk the housing representative glanced at them. "Hi I'm Yang Xiao Long." Yang said, still slightly out of breath. " _That took more out of me than I thought, I am not built for sprinting!"_

"I'm Ruby, Ruby Rose. We're both in room 205." The redhead replied, cheerily as she was still enjoying the moment of beating Yang in a race.

"I'm Reese nice to meet you, I'm one of the RAs for the building. Now let me see here, Rose…Xiao Long found you on the list. All you'll need to do now is fill out these forms and these are your room keys, please don't lose them. Last person who did had a heart to heart chat with our supervisor Ms. Goodwitch." The gold and red dressed pair noticed, the slight shudder that accompanied Reese's warning.

" _What kind of dorm supervisor causes that kind of reaction from an RA?"_ Yang thought, suppressing a worried look. "Ok we'll make sure to keep hold of them Reese." Yang said motioning for her sister to follow her back to the car so they could start bringing their belongings to their room.

It took them 30 minutes to get their belongings from Yang's car and up to their dorm room. It was situated with a common area and a kitchen, with the rooms branching off from them. "Looks like someone already beat us here Yang." Ruby said, after opening the door of room 205 and seeing that one of the doors to the other rooms was open.

"Must've moved in earlier today." The blonde said, walking past Ruby and into room B. " _Man this thing was heavy. I told dad I did not need all this stuff!"_ Yang thought, as she set her suitcase on her bed. The creaking noise caused by the extra weight was a little disconcerting. Yang's first order of business was to slide her bed from the center of the wall into one of the corners in order to free up more of the floor space. The bedframe hit the wall with a muffled thud as it put a crack in the drywall. " _Oops."_

"Yang get out here!" Ruby's shout from the common room disturbed her from further ruining the wall.

"I'm a little busy right now Rubes!" Yang shouted back, " _Guess I'll need to see about covering that up."_ Yang thought, looking at the wall.

"One of our roommates is here, and you're being very rude by not introducing yourself!" Ruby shouted back.

"Fine, I'll be out in a sec!" Yang replied, tossing a pillow onto the bed. Thankfully the cracked drywall was easily covered by it.

* * *

 **PYRRHA**

Pyrrha walked back to the dorms after a hard day of practice. She was one of the Soccer team's newest members, a really talented addition to the schools team. Practice had let out early since they had done so much in the week that had already gone by before classes actually started. As for her own performance, Pyrrha wasn't surprised that the team thought she was one of the best out of everyone, she used to play for the soccer team at her previous school, before she transferred here.

On her old team, they were one of the top ranked Soccer teams in the country and she had managed to show great potential for the year that she was there. The only reason she transferred was because this school had a much better Electronic Media department, and she felt that her studies would be better if she were here instead. So, now that she was here, she tried out for the team and turned heads immediately.

Of course, the transfer wouldn't go off completely well in the end. Many of the credits she had tried to transfer over from her old school wouldn't go through and so she was left having to retake many of her classes over again. This didn't seem to bring her down though, she took it in stride and thought of it as an opportunity to give her GPA a nice boost.

As she walked into the building, she noticed that the line for people coming in was overly long, and she really felt bad for the person stuck at the desk. It didn't help that the person at the desk was one of her teammates, Reese Chloris, who had to miss practice for the day due to getting everyone moved in. Pyrrha really didn't envy being her right now, but she smiled and waved hello as she passed by when Reese turned and smiled at her.

By the time she got back to the dorm, Pyrrha noticed one thing that was odd. The front door was open and she could hear people talking on the inside. At first she was wondering what was going on, but then she remembered that the rest of her roommates were coming in that day, so she figured it was probably them making their grand entrance. She walked through the threshold to her dorm, ready to meet the people she would be spending the next year living with.

"Hello? Anyone there?" Pyrrha called out, hoping that someone would answer.

She was surprised to hear someone call back to her almost instantly. "I'll be there in a sec!"

Pyrrha walked into the apartment, making her way to the fridge and pulled out a bottle of water. Opening it up, she turned around to see a short girl with red highlights walking towards her. Pyrrha had to admit, the smaller girl had something about her that just gave her a weird feeling in her stomach.

"Hi, I'm Ruby," The girl introduced herself as. "I'm over in room A."

Ruby held out a hand to Pyrrha, which she took after regaining her senses for a moment. "Pyrrha Nikos, I'm over in room C." Hearing some rumbling coming over from one of the other rooms, Pyrrha looked towards the direction of the noise. "Is someone else here?"

"Oh, that's my sister! She's in room B," Ruby replied. "Yang, get out here!"

Pyrrha was a bit surprised at the sudden shout from Ruby, but it didn't stop with that once she heard shouts coming back towards them. "I'm a little busy right now Rubes," the girl Pyrrha could only assume was Yang responded.

"One of our roommates is here, and you're being very rude by not introducing yourself!" Ruby shouted back.

"Fine, I'll be out in a sec," Yang replied.

The entire time, Pyrrha didn't know what to make of the sudden exchange. Once she saw a girl she assumed to be Ruby's sister pop out towards them, she noticed the long mane of blonde hair first and foremost. "Yo, I'm Yang," Yang introduced herself as.

"Pyrrha," The redhead responded, offering a handshake to Yang. "Sorry, I forgot that you guys were all coming in today."

"I'm guessing you're the one who was here first?" Yang asked. "I noticed all of the bottles of water in the fridge, one that you have in your hands by the way, and that you don't seem to have much stuff with you."

"Yeah, I was here a week ago for soccer practice," Pyrrha said, rubbing the back of her neck as she spoke. "Just about all of my stuff is already here."

"I figured that was the case," Yang said. "Anyway, I'm gonna get back to unpacking. Nice to meet you, Pyrrha." Yang took that opportunity to head back into her room and continue working, leaving Ruby and Pyrrha all by themselves in front of the dorms refrigerator.

"I should probably work on some more unpacking too," Ruby said to Pyrrha.

Pyrrha chuckled a bit at Ruby's hesitance to leave. "It's fine, I need to jump into the shower anyway."

"Alright, well it was nice talking to you!" Ruby exclaimed as the two walked away from each other. Pyrrha walked into her room which she had already set up the way she wanted for her side, and grabbed a towel from her closet, before stripping out of her sweaty clothes that she wore to practice. With the towel wrapped around her, she went over to the dorm's shower and walked in, before taking the towel off of her, hanging it up where she wanted it to be and starting up the water.

* * *

 **BLAKE**

Blake had a plan for today: get her room key, avoid anyone that tries to talk to her, make it to her room and unpack, and finish her daily quota of reading. The day then began horribly with losing the book she had been reading as she packed her duffle bag. _Great… just what I needed._ She thought and groaned softly.

When she arrived at Patch University, the first thing to do was find out what room she will be occupying and getting the key for said room.

So Blake did just that, heading off to where the dormitories were located. A few minutes later, she realized just how long it will take for her to get the room key. _How long have 'they' waited here?!_ In front of her… was a long line of students, leading to a table where a mint-green haired girl stood at. The black-haired cat faunus knew that this would already turn out to be a long day; she walked in line, adjusted the strap of the duffle bag she had been wearing to rest itself on her right side, and waited… and waited… and waited until she was about ready to pass out due to the long amount of time she stood for. All Blake did during that time was regret the fact that she forgot her book and didn't even want to bother taking out another book, for the ones she had in her duffle bag were already read countless amounts of times. Then finally, she was next to approach the table.

Walking up to it, she noticed that the girl had green eyes to fit with her hair color and on the table was a lot of paperwork. _Probably just meant for us to input our info._ Blake thought. The girl cleared her throat and smiled. "Hello there. My name's Reese Chloris, your RA."

"Um, hello." Blake replied and awkwardly smiled.

"What is your name so I can give you your assigned room and the key to it?" she asked.

"Blake Belladonna." she stated.

"Okay then, ummm… let's see," Reese took out a small, thick book and began reading through it, swiping the pages up to four times before putting it down on the table, "ah, here you go then." She handed the black-haired girl a bronze colored key that was the size of the palm of her hand. "Your room is two-o-five, room B. Would you like to know who you're rooming with or-"

Blake lifted her hand up quickly to silence her. "It's okay… I'd rather it be a surprise to know who my roommates are." the cat faunus said before walking away from Reese.

"H-have a great day!" She heard the RA shout but she sighed. _I just want to get to my room and get this day over with._ Blake thought and grumpily walked towards the stairs. _205 huh… well there's no need to take the elevator if it's just up a floor._ Blake then adjusted her duffle bag to be hanging from her back as she climbed up the stairs. She was more than eager to get to her room and end this day off with trying to find her book.

Opening the door to the second floor hallway, she noticed that her assigned room was to the left of the staircase she had taken. _Nice… a quick way to our room._ She thought and sighed in relief as she started walking towards her room. Blake pulled out her key Reese had given her and unlocked the door to room 205. As soon as she entered, she noticed that no one was around. _Maybe my roommates haven't shown up or they're unpacking right now._ Blake thought as she looked around the empty dorm. "Umm… hello? Anyone here?" she announced.

A chirpy voice responded to her from the room on her right. "Coming!" Blake groaned softly. _I didn't really want to get a response._ she thought and sighed. Before she knew it, a red-haired girl appeared before her, a smile plastered on her face. "Hello! The name's Ruby… I'm guessing you're one of our roommates?" the red-headed girl asked.

Blake nodded. "Yep… I am living in room 205, room B."

Her eyes brightened as if Blake suddenly triggered something in her mind. "Awesome! That's the room beside mine, you're rooming with my sister Yang and-"

The black-haired girl started walking, not letting the red-haired girl finish. "Thanks, I'll be getting to unpacking now." Behind her, the girl shouted her name, which was apparently Ruby Rose and Blake took note of that as she went to her assigned room. _Yang huh… I wonder how she is compared to her excited sister._ She thought as she got to room B.

Blake knocked on the door first, just to see if it was okay to enter. "Who's knocking?" The voice behind the door sounded a bit more mature than Ruby's voice but just as chirpy.

The cat faunus sighed. "It's your roommate."

The door to room B swung open and the person Blake saw in front of her was a blonde-haired girl with lilac eyes. "Well, hello there roommate… oh, I didn't think they get me a roommate that's so… hot." Yang was wearing a yellow and black crop top bustier that showed a portion of her bust to Blake, making her blush and she wore black short-shorts to go with it."

The cat faunus sighed softly, walking into the room and her blush quickly faded so the blonde-haired girl would not notice it. "Whatever… anyways hi, name's Blake and… yeah." Blake gave Yang a glare. "I hope we get along and trust each other… roommate."

Yang shrugged and closed the door behind her. "Okay… well, same thing goes to you." The black-haired girl looked around and turned to the blonde.

"Where do I put my stuff at?" she asked.

Yang immediately answered in a casual voice. "Right side of the room is yours and left side is mine."

Blake went to the right side of the room, unslung her duffle bag, and placed it down on the bed. The room itself was decently sized for two people, but with the amounts of workout gear her roommate had, she can tell that there was not going to be any room left for her. "Hey Yang? Did you ever think that they might have a fitness center somewhere here on campus?" she asked, her tone clearly annoyed.

The blonde shrugged and looked back at her. "Eh, I'm not sure if they'll have what I need so I just brought my stuff."

"Well please don't leave it in here… we need space and we can't let it be occupied by stuff that the school might have covered already." Blake groaned and zipped open her duffle bag. She had packed books and some clothes that can be used for any time of day, even formal ones shall the occasion arise. Looking around, she noticed a bookshelf near her bed that she quickly went to setting her books on. _Convenient that there's a bookshelf here._ Blake thought and sighed in relief. _That's one thing taken care of._ As she went back to the bag one more time to see if anymore books were left, her eyes widened at the site. The book she had lost was sitting there, at the bottom of the bag itself. _How did that get ther- oh… Tukson._

Tukson was the person that was taking care of Blake since she didn't have much family left out there in the world. He had offered her a place to stay at an apartment above his bookstore which she gladly took and that was where her fondness of books came in.

Thinking about her caretaker made the cat faunus smile. _I'm glad I lived there._ she thought and happily took the book out of her bag, putting the bag down and sliding it beneath her bed. She lied down on the bed and opened up her book from where she had last inserted her bookmark at.

The book was about a fox that had lost her parents in an incident and now was trying to live her life out in what the book says 'a cruel world that shows the slightest hint of hope in itself'. Sure, it sounded depressing, and it certainly wasn't for kids due to its language and graphic violence, but it did have some happy moments and the friends that the fox made added more to the story itself.

Blake was reading through a tender moment in the story until she was interrupted by none other than her roommate. "So umm… do you want to get to know each other?" Yang asked.

The black-haired girl looked up at her and narrowed her eyes. "I'd rather keep reading this book… thank you." Blake then went back to reading, despite the towering presence still standing beside her.

The blonde crouched down to meet her level. "What's the book about?"

Blake stopped, actually surprised at the question she was given. "H-huh?" she responded.

"The book… what is it about?" Yang repeated.

Blake set the book down beside her, leaving it wide open and face down so she won't lose her page and she gave her full attention to Yang. "W-well… umm… it's like this…" Blake explained the story in a brief summary to the blonde-haired girl, Yang herself listened intently and her expression showed interest, "and that's my summary of what it is. I'm not done reading it but-"

"Can I read it after you're done with it?" Yang asked suddenly, catching Blake off guard.

"S-sure… just make sure you give it back, someone I care for gave that to me."

Yang smiled. "Of course… roommate." For once today, Blake gave a genuine smile. The blonde-haired girl sat down on her bed. "I didn't properly introduce myself; the name's Yang Xiao Long."

The cat faunus sat up and everything around her seemed to be forgotten… except for the one she was focusing on. "Blake. Blake Belladonna."

* * *

 **WEISS**

Weiss sighed as she approached the table after waiting in line for what felt like hours.

"Weiss Schnee," she stated to the mint-green haired girl standing at the desk.

"Hi there. I'm Reese Chloris," the girl said, smiling. "your RA. Here's your key. Room 205. Just go ahead and fill out this paperwork and we should be good to go."

"Thank you," Weiss replied, carefully filling out the papers and taking the card and her bedroom key.

Weiss went to leave the room, when she was ambushed by a young women with ginger hair.

"Hi there!" the woman said excitedly.

"Hello," Weiss said suspiciously.

"I'm Nora! What room are you in?"

The White-haired girl turned to face the other girl. "205," she stated. "Wh-"

"No way!" Nora replied. "That's where I'm living!"

"Great," Weiss replied, rolling her eyes and walking towards the building that she would be living in for the next year.

She walked up to the door and swiped her card through the reader, and pulled the door open when she heard the door unlock. She made her way to the stairs and walked up to the second floor. she followed the signs until she finally arrived outside of the room with a sign on the door with the number _205_ printed on the sign. She again swiped her card and heard the door unlock. She pulled on the latch and opened the door stepping inside and was greeted by the sight of a girl with long, blonde hair and purple eyes talking to a slightly younger girl with black-and-red hair and gleaming silver eyes.

The silver-eyed girl turned and waved to Weiss. "Hi there!" the girl said cheerfully. "What's your name?"

Weiss glanced at the girl. "Weiss," she replied.

"I'm Ruby!" The girl said, seemingly appearing next to Weiss. "What bedroom are you going to be in?"

"Room A," Weiss replied shortly.

"No way! That's the same room I'm in! We're going to be such great friends this semester!"

"Sure," Weiss said coolly, rolling her eyes as she walked away from the hyperactive girl.

She walked over to the door that lead into the first bedroom on her left and inserted her key. She turned the lock, only to find that the door had already been unlocked.

 _That's right_ , Weiss thought to herself, rolling her eyes slightly, _that other girl will be sharing a bedroom with me_.

With a sigh, she pulled the knob, and pushed the door open. She looked around the room. taking in each and every detail. The other girl had already started unpacking, having left some of her belongings lying on what was to be her bed.

 _This is going to be a great semester_ , Weiss thought rolling her eyes.

* * *

 **NORA**

' _Oh my god this is going to be absolutely incredible!_ ' Nora thought to herself once she got into the dorm. She had fun walking up with one of her roommates, though she felt like the person she walked up with wasn't necessarily the nicest of people, still it wouldn't bring her down, Nora wasn't one to let someone kill the good mood that she was in.

She started to make her way over to room C, which was the room that she was going to be staying in, and she started to open up the door, listening all the while to the white haired girl speaking to what appeared to be the girl's roommate. ' _Her roommate sounds awesome, I'll have to introduce myself at some point._ '

Opening up the door, Nora wasn't expecting anyone else to be in there, nor had she expected the person who was clearly her roommate to be standing in the middle of the room naked as she was getting changed into what appeared to be a separate set of clothes.

"Oh my god!" Nora's roommate shouted once she realized that Nora had arrived.

Even Nora was a bit surprised by that, and she politely turned away from her roommate. "Hehe, sorry about that, shoulda knocked first," Nora apologized. "I'm guessing you're my roommate?"

With Nora turned away, the girl quickly put her clothes on, all the while feeling a burning heat in her cheeks from embarrassment. "Y-yeah, I guess so."

"Well, this is certainly a funny way of meeting your roommate huh," Nora said, trying to lighten the mood a bit. Eventually she felt a tap on her shoulder signifying that she was ok to come into the room once again. "Well, I'm guessing we're going to live together. I'm Nora."

"Pyrrha," Nora's roommate responded. "I'm really sorry about this by the way."

"Nonsense," Nora replied. "In all honesty, I feel like I have to get naked myself so that we're even in the seeing each other nude department."

"You really don't have to do that!" Pyrrha all but shouted.

Shrugging her shoulders, Nora didn't know what to think of that response. "Eh, I suppose you're right. You'll probably end up walking in on me naked at one point or another, why ruin the surprise?"

"No offense, but I'd rather not see my roommate naked," Pyrrha said. "It's nothing against you, but since we have to live with each other for the next year, I don't want to go around knowing that I've seen you naked. In fact I feel bad enough knowing that you've just met me and have already seen my full form."

"Please, you're smokin' hot," Nora blurted out. "Why wouldn't I enjoy seeing that sight, even if you are my roommate? Ren usually isn't too worried about me making out with other girls though, since he knows I only love him."

"Oh dear god what have I gotten myself into?" Pyrrha whispered to herself, though Nora did manage to hear that. "And who in the world is Ren?"

"First of all, Ren is literally my man, so don't be surprised if you see him over here quite often. Secondly, you, my lovely lady friend, have gotten yourself into one hell of a great time!" Nora shouted. "I'll be the bestest roommate EVER!" Leaving the conversation there, the hyperactive ginger started to zip back and forth across the room placing her belongings where she wanted them to be.

* * *

 **JAUNE**

Jaune was excited as he walked into the dorm for the first time. His first year away from home, becoming a man, though his sisters would never admit to that. Jaune was glad that he was finally able to live in a place that wasn't filled to the brim with girls. His parents were waiting outside for him, taking all of his stuff and pulling it out of the car while he went to go check out his room and get signed in.

"Ah, this is going to be great, no more living around extreme amounts of estrogen," Jaune mumbled to himself. "I'll finally can live in peace and quiet."

As Jaune approached the desk, he noticed that there was a few people standing in front of him talking to the lady who was responsible for registering them all into the dorm. One of the people looked like he was bored out of his mind, and so Jaune felt that it was appropriate to strike up a conversation.

"Man, this is a really long line, don't you think?" Jaune asked, nudging the guy in front of him.

In response, the man turned towards him and shrugged. "I'm sure we'll get our turn eventually," He said in response.

"Yeah I know, it's just I want to get settled in and explore this place before everyone else gets the same idea," Jaune replied. "I'm Jaune by the way, Jaune Arc."

"Lie Ren," The man responded. "But, just call me Ren."

"Ok, Ren," Jaune said. "What room are you staying in?"

"205, you?" Ren answered.

"Wow, that's so cool," Jaune said. "I'm in 205 as well!"

"Well then, I guess it would be fine if we walked up together then," Ren suggested. Jaune felt a bit of relief wash over him as he realized that Ren was basically helping him get through the line faster. By that point it was his turn to speak to the receptionist.

"Hello, we're actually in the same dorm together," Ren mentioned.

"Thanks, that'll actually make this go by so much quicker," The girl said. "I'm Reese, one of the RAs for the building, can I have your names and room number?"

"I'm Jaune Arc, and this is Lie Ren," Jaune said, hoping he got Ren's name right. When he got a nod from Ren in response, he sighed in relief since he got it right. "And we're in room 205."

Reese looked through the list of names, though she was confused as to why they would say the room number. "Are you sure that it's 205?" Reese asked.

Ren pulled out a piece of paper that he had in his pocket. On it was the information that he had received from the universities housing group. Handing it to Reese, Ren waited as the girl at the desk looked it over for any errors, only to be surprised when the message appeared the same across her notebook as well.

"Ok, don't know why you got put in that room, but I guess the people at the top know what they're doing," Reese finally said to Ren and Jaune. She then pulled out two packets, one for Ren and one for Jaune. "Fill out these forms, and here are your room keys. Don't lose them because they're expensive to replace."

By the time the two of them finished up with the paperwork, Jaune was more than excited to get into his room. He wasn't a single bit concerned over what went down at the desk, though Ren was going over what happened in his head over and over again. "Oh man this is going to be so awesome!" Jaune proclaimed as the two walked up the stairs to their dorm room.

"You know, something doesn't necessarily seem right," Ren suggested.

"Oh whatever, I'm sure it's some paperwork issue with the housing people," Jaune said. "Nothing for us to worry about."

By the time the two made it to the dorm, Jaune completely ignored the voices coming from inside the room already and he walked right into the dorm without hesitation.

* * *

 **REN**

Ren had finally been able to find a few minutes of solace after spending multiple hours in a car with the ball of energy that he knew as his friend/girlfriend.

In High School, he couldn't remember a time where she wasn't planted at his side. He guessed that the same could be said from her about him. They had been good friends since they were little kids. They were inseparable.

But that didn't mean that he did not find her annoying at times. He knew that she meant well, but she would always go over the top with everything.

Now, here he was, attending the same college as her. The only reason she wasn't by him was because he forgot his phone back in the car and ran back to the large parking garage to retrieve it.

He stood in line waiting to get his room info from the RA of the dormitory complex. And the line was long. The line looked like it was trying to go quick though, the RA working hard sifting through all the files and papers of the people being admitted to the dormitory.

He felt someone nudge his back as if trying to get his attention. Looking back, Ren saw a guy his age with blonde hair and blue eyes. "Man, this is a really long line, don't you think?" the unknown man asked.

" _Well it is the first day of a really popular college, you would expect it to be very busy and hectic."_ Ren stated to himself. "I'm sure we'll get our turn eventually."

"Yeah I know, it's just that I want to get settled in and explore this place before everyone else get's the same idea." That was something that Ren could understand. This campus was really big, and if you didn't get a full tour of it when looking to apply, you had a lot to explore. "I'm Jaune by the way, Jaune Arc."

"Lie Ren", he responded, "But, just call me Ren."

"Ok, Ren." the conversation continuing. Not that Ren minded, it was beginning to get a tad boring in the line. "What room are you staying in?" Jaune asked.

"205," he said. "You?"

"Wow, that's so cool," Jaune said with a bit of surprise in his voice. "I'm in 205 as well!"

"Well then, I guess it would be fine if we walked up together then," Ren suggested. Jaune felt a bit of relief wash over him as he realized that Ren was basically helping him get through the line faster. By that point it was his turn to speak to the receptionist.

"Hello, we're actually in the same dorm together," Ren mentioned.

"Thanks, that'll actually make this go by so much quicker," The girl said. "I'm Reese, one of the RAs for the building, can I have your names and room number?"

"I'm Jaune Arc, and this is Lie Ren," Jaune said, hoping he got Ren's name right. When he got a nod from Ren in response, he sighed in relief since he got it right. "And we're in room 205."

Reese looked through the list of names, though she was confused as to why they would say the room number. "Are you sure that it's 205?" Reese asked.

Ren pulled out a piece of paper that he had in his pocket. On it was the information that he had received from the university's housing group. Handing it to Reese, Ren waited as the girl at the desk looked it over for any errors, only to be surprised when the message appeared the same across her notebook as well.

"Ok, don't know why you got put in that room, but I guess the people at the top know what they're doing," Reese finally said to Ren and Jaune. She then pulled out two packets, one for Ren and one for Jaune. "Fill out these forms, and here are your room keys. Don't lose them because they're expensive to replace."

Ren couldn't help but think that something was fishy. The RA had been confused as to their room number. But Jaune had played it off like it was nothing.

Ren followed the blonde man as he continued through the building.

"Oh man this is going to be so awesome!" Jaune proclaimed as the two walked up the stairs to their dorm room.

Finally, Ren decided to speak his mind a little. "You know, something doesn't necessarily seem right." Nothing seemed right. It appeared that Jaune wasn't noticing the things that Ren was.

The main problem being that they appeared to be the only guys walking through the halls of this floor.

"Oh whatever, I'm sure it's some paperwork issue with the housing people," Jaune said. "Nothing for us to worry about."

Ren was about to stop Jaune's hand from swiping the card on the door but he was too late as he was already walking through the door.

"What's up, people!" Jaune shouted through their new dorm room.

Ren walked in right behind Jaune, looking around at the room. Just as the floor plan showed. Four rooms, two baths, kitchen, living area. Now there was one small issue.

The heads of two girls peering their heads out of their rooms.

"Who the hell are you two?" said one of the girls, who had eyes the color of a lilac and long blonde hair.

Jaune and Ren stopped dead in their tracks.

"Sorry…" Jaune started as he began to retreat backwards through the doorway. "I think we have the wrong ro-" Ren saw the boy stop in his tracks again as he read the room number on the door.

 _205._

The other girl who had short brunette hair with red highlights looked to the blonde.

"So should we mention in our first letter home to Dad that there are boys living in our dorm?"

* * *

 **GLYNDA**

It certainly had been an eventful day for Glynda Goodwitch, the move in for freshman was always a hectic day. Calls would often come in referring to incidents happening with some student having a problem with the room or something similar to that, but fortunately, today seemed to go off without a hitch.

As Glynda took a sip of her tea and prepared to go home for the day, she heard her phone go off. Looking at the number, and seeing the name associated with it, Glynda just knew that something had happened that needed her attention.

"Yes, Reese?" Goodwitch said, pausing to hear what it was that her staff had to say. After she heard what Reese did say, she couldn't believe what it was that she was hearing. "What?!" As soon as the final sounds of Glynda's shriek faded it was replaced with one far more terrifying. The sound of that morning's paper being rolled into a three inch diameter.

* * *

 **AN: NobleMETA: Yeah, just so you guys know, everyone of us already agree on one thing. We all know that this is a bad idea, and that is exactly why we are doing this. This is too good of an opportunity to pass up that even our bad idea can't get in the way of it.**

 **I wrote out Pyrrha, Nora, Jaune and Glynda, Phoenix Commander wrote out Ruby and Yang, TheDarkenedRose wrote Blake's part, angelsixtwofive took Ren, and GhostPhoenix took Weiss' part. You should be able to see the difference in styles, but once again, that is bound to happen with something this massive. Another thing to note is that everyone is putting in a fair share for this, so if it seems like one person is doing more than the others, there is so much that we have planned and they may be doing work for later on down the road.**

 **Also apparently I have inhuman hands.**

 **Phoenix Commander: Well you do!**

 **NobleMETA: Anyway, this is just going to be so much fun that we would honestly don't know how much we're going to break the universe. Hopefully you all enjoy this, because**

 **it's been really fun to make for me.**

 **angelsixtwofive: SENPAI NOTICED US!**

 **NobleMETA: We would like to thank angelsixtwofive for volunteering to write out any and all lemon/smut moments during the course of this story.**

 **angelsixtwofive: yay…. with a hint of gay.**

 **NobleMETA: He seems really happy about that by the way.**

 **GhostPhoenix113: I told you guys that this is a bad idea. Oh well. Geronimo!**

 **NobleMETA: Again, I already mentioned that it being a bad idea was why we had to do this.**

 **GhostPhoenix113: Does it look like I care?**

 **angelsixtwofive: When do we get paid?**

 **GhostPhoenix113: We're getting paid?**

 **angelsixtwofive: I hope so.**

 **Phoenix Commander: No pay! No regrets!...Damn it NobleMETA stop feeding the guard dogs!**

 **GhostPhoenix113: Goddammit Noble!**

 **NobleMETA: THIS IS ENTERTAINMENT VALUE!**

 **angelsixtwofive: This is why we can't have nice things, guys.**

 **NobleMETA: Ok, I'm ending this note here-**

 **TheDarkenedRose: But I didn't say anything!**

 **NobleMETA: SHUT UP! *slaps Rose unconscious* Hope you enjoyed the chapter, and we'll be back soon with the next stupidly awesome adventure in our story.**

 **SylverLining: What about me~? …...hello? *late to the party***


	2. Ruby and the Brownie

Chapter Title: Ruby and the Brownie

 **AN: Noble: Wow, that was a first chapter. We would like to welcome all of you guys who have already followed, favorited and reviewed, and hopefully you don't go too insane from our fic.**

 **Also, we would like to welcome two new authors into our little clusterfuck we call a collaboration. Please welcome: lymle300 and BurningPeace!**

 **BurningPeace: Clusterfuck is far too kind. What the hell did I get myself into?**

 **Lymle300: Hey man, I'm just here for the free samples. I'm still not sold, wait, no refunds? Welp, I'm here now….**

 **Phoenix Cmdr: You guys signed the waver right?**

 **BurningPeace: That's what that was?!**

 **Lymle300: Oh shit, I thought that was just an autograph!**

 **Phoenix Cmdr: Yeah, I'm also gonna need a copy of your W2s.**

 **BurningPeace: Will that be before or after the soul binding contract?**

 **Lymle300: I hope before, I have plans later today.**

 **Phoenix Cmdr: After the soul binding. On the brightside your paycheck will come from Texas so no income tax for you.**

 **BurningPeace: Works for me!**

 **Lymle300: I'm gettin comfy, then!**

 **Noble: Alright, welcome to the madhouse BurningPeace and lymle300, and to all of you who are reading this, hopefully you enjoy!**

* * *

 **Ruby**

After dealing with a very frustrated roommate, Ruby was more than happy to be out of the dorm for a little bit of time. Seeing Weiss react to the news that she was going to be living with guys in their dorm hadn't gone over well. When Yang had suggested that the two of them should go out and explore the town, Ruby had absolutely no objections to doing so.

The rest of their roommates all went off to do different things, each one of them on their own. Pyrrha had gone to her room to lie down and watch videos since she was done with practice for the day, Blake had a book that she was interested in reading, and so she left to go read it, and Nora wanted to go get some lunch after a long trip to get there.

Last Ruby checked though, her roommate was talking with Jaune and Ren about why they shouldn't try to do anything untoward or anything within that nature to her, her stuff, or anything else she deems off limits, so long as she remains stuck with living in the same dorm as the two of them. If Ruby were to be honest, she was glad that it wasn't her getting the brunt of the rage instead. Ruby already knew that it wouldn't be easy to live with the woman, but now she could only hope that it doesn't end with her head on a pike in the process.

' _And I have to live with that for the next year? Darn it, why do these things have to happen to me?_ ' Ruby thought to herself as she walked with Yang across the campus so that she could figure out where everything was.

They passed by plenty of interesting sights in their travels, many people had appeared to set up shop and attempt to sell stuff so that they could make a quick buck or two. She saw homemade crafts, baked goods, assortments of posters and other things of that nature, everything was around to give people an easier time with starting the semester. At least, that's what Ruby thought they were there for.

"Oh, let's take a look around, Yang," Ruby said as she started to make her way over towards one of the little improvised shops. Once she reached her first goal, she noticed that there was many baked goods for sale.

Yang had a sneaking suspicion about one of the items on sale, but decided to play it out and see where things went.

"Hi," Ruby said to the shop owner, a blonde haired guy that had his button up shirt opened and his abs on glorious display. "What's your name?"

"The name's Sun," the guy said before turning to his friend and gesturing to him. "And this here is my buddy Neptune. You look like you're interested in some of these lovely brownies that me and my friend made."

"They do look good," Ruby replied eyeballing the brownies in question. "How much for them exactly?"

"Well," Neptune cut in. "For you, I'd wager about $3 for two of these very delicious brownies, but if you wanted say four, then that sounds like a good $5 deal. That's double the brownie, for less than double the price."

"Hold on a second," Yang interjected. "What's so special about these brownies that makes them that expensive?"

Sun raised his hands in the air and stood up from his seat, walking over to Yang so that he would whisper into her ear. "These are uh... _special_ brownies."

"Are you serious?" Yang questioned. "What makes you think we'd buy your 'special brownies'?" Yang made an air quotes gesture when she said special brownies.

"I'll take four of them please," Ruby said without hesitation, slamming her money onto the table in front of them.

"Ruby just wait for a moment why don't you?" Yang tried to plead with her little sister, but to no avail.

"Yang, I know what I'm doing alright?" Ruby argued, her mind already made up and no longer interested in what Yang had to say.

Yang just threw her hands up in the air in defeat. "Fine, but don't come crying to me when you end up regretting your decision."

By the time Ruby turned around, she noticed that Neptune had already placed the brownies she had just purchased into a baggie that she could carry around with her. Neptune gave her a friendly farewell, and a wink in Yang's direction before the two sisters walked away to search for other things.

"The nerve of that guy winking at me like I'm just a sex toy," Yang grumbled.

"To be fair, you do have a nice body," Ruby murmured. "Though I do get why you wouldn't like that happening to you."

"Enough Rubes," Yang groaned. "I just want to get back to the room now, so can we hurry up here and get going?"

"Alright," Ruby said, storing her brownies into her backpack. "You think that Weiss is done yelling at Jaune and Ren yet?"

Yang just shook her head and threw her arm over Ruby's shoulders. "You know, something tells me that she isn't done yelling at them just yet, and that she's really only getting started."

"Oh boy," Ruby sighed, letting her shoulders droop. "This is going to be a long year, I can just tell already."

* * *

 _ **Glynda**_

"You wanted to see me Ms. Goodwitch?" Jaune asked, walking into the housing office.

"Mr. Arc please have a seat." The dorm supervisor said, motioning to a chair. "So tell me Mr. Arc, how hard is it to fill out an admissions form?" Her grip around her newspaper tightening.

"Not hard at all ma'am." Jaune replied evenly.

"Then tell me how you could file yourself as female?" Glynda growled, turning to face the student and slapping the newspaper onto the table with a sharp crack.

"I-I d-did w-what?!" Jaune stuttered in reply.

"You filled out the form incorrectly! Unfortunately there are no other rooms available so you will have to remain in room 205. But if I get one complaint from your female dorm mates I will see you removed from campus grounds. Am I understood?!" Glynda said, glaring at the young man.

"Y-yes ma'am!" Jaune said quickly.

"Good, now please send Mr. Ren in on your way out." Glynda said sighing. When Ren took a seat in the chair Jaune had just vacated not moments before Goodwitch slid the form toward him. "Explain Mr. Ren."

Ren took one look at the form, his left eye twitching slightly as he replied with only four muttered words. "God damn it Nora."

* * *

 _ **Ruby and Yang**_

As the sisters made it to their dorm they decided to listen at the door first to make sure the banshee-like screaming that had driven them away had stopped. "Sounds like the coast is clear Yang." Ruby whispered, as she opened the door to their shared flat.

"I think you are right Rubes. I guess the Ice Queen decided she was done screaming at Jaune." The blonde said, glancing around the common room.

"Well if we are going to lay low for now, you wanna just watch some Youtube videos?" Ruby suggested, walking over to the common room's large couch.

"Eh why not not like we have any more unpacking left to do. You have any suggestions?" Yang asked, joining her sister on the couch.

"What about Lets Play? The new Minecraft let's play episode is out." Ruby asked, setting her brownies on a side table next to her.

"Sure why not." Yang said, pulling up her laptop, while subtly looking at the bag of sweets. She was trying to think of a way to prevent the inevitable.

As the episode started Ruby reached for the bag of brownies and pulled one out. " _Time to see what Yang was so worried about."_ She thought, as she took a bite. " _Hmmm tastes a little strange. Oh crap what if there are nuts in it, maybe that's what Yang was worried about?"_ She was going to voice her concern to her older sister then she noticed something in the room that hadn't been there before. "Y-yang?" Ruby asked, trying to gather her thoughts.

"What's up Rubes?" She replied, after failing to stop the energetic young woman from eating the brownie she knew full well what was happening.

"First, why is there a duck in the common room? Second, why and how does it have a machete?" Ruby asked, her heart starting to race, saturating her system with the pot that had been baked into the brownie.

Yang sighed before replying, "Better buckle up Ruby, cause you're going on a trip."

The last half of Yang's reply seemed to go on much longer than it should have as Ruby's pot addled brain seemed to slow down. Unfortunately for Ruby the machete wielding duck also started to move toward the pair."Yang t-the d-duck is moving towards us." Ruby said, stuttering and pointing in the direction of the hallucination as it moved closer.

Yang looked in the direction Ruby was pointing, " _God damn it Ruby."_ She thought before replying, "Ruby take a deep breath and calm down, there is no duck. What you are seeing is the lampstand in the corner."

"Y-yang I-I d-don't think i-it's fake. J-just get t-the thing away from me!" Ruby shouted, as she jumped from the couch and ran to the room she shared with Weiss.

" _Oh no she is not disturbing the Ice Queen! We just got back here for fuck sake!"_ Yang mentally shouted, before tackling her sister to the ground and wrapping her in a hug. "Ruby listen to me and repeat what I say, over and over until I say. There is no duck." Yang said, hoping to help Ruby calm down.

"T-there i-is no d-duck, t-there i-is no duck, there is no duck." Ruby chanted, slowly getting herself under control. Until she noticed a change in her sister's hair. "H-hey Yang?"

"Yeah Ruby?" Yang asked, helping her sister back to the couch.

"Since when have you had purple hair?" Ruby asked, placing the laptop back on her lap.

"Only just now Ruby. Now can we finish that video?" Yang asked, while simultaneously thinking, " _I'm gonna kill that damn dirty ape."_

* * *

 **Pyrrha**

After Nora was finished moving in and now that she had gone out to get food, Pyrrha was able to relax after a long and eventful day. Between practice, meeting everyone of her new roommates, especially with Nora seeing her practically naked, and then with Weiss screaming at Jaune and Ren about how they shouldn't do anything to invade her personal space, Pyrrha just wanted to put on some music and relax.

Picking her guitar up and sitting on her bed, Pyrrha started to strum out to some music she had plugged into her headphones. She had managed to catch the latest episode of Achievement Hunter's Minecraft series, and now she wanted to get some work in on her music.

To her surprise, as she was strumming along to herself, she suddenly heard strange noises coming from the living room.

' _What the hell is going on right now?_ ' Pyrrha thought to herself as she got off her bed and opened the door.

"What's with all the noise guys?" Pyrrha asked, walking out of her room and into the common room. To her surprise, she saw Yang partially chuckling, and Ruby looking all around the room like she was going insane.

"Oh h-hey Pyrrha, nothing much j-just h-having a b-bit o-of a nervous b-breakdown," Ruby stuttered in reply, she had been silently chanting 'there is no duck'.

Pyrrha could only imagine what it was that caused Ruby to end up in that state, but given what she knew about universities and the behavior of many people at college, it wasn't hard to figure out. "Really? We're not even here for a full day and she's already getting high," Pyrrha said.

"It's not like she planned this," Yang replied. "This little knucklehead here decided not to listen when I said that she shouldn't have bought the brownies. Guess she'll have to learn about this the hard way."

Pyrrha looked over at Ruby, who was curled up into a ball in the corner, the look on her face telling the red head all she needed to know. "Wait, do you mean to tell me that this is her first time?"

"As far as I know," Yang replied, lifting her little sister off the ground and bringing her over to her own room. Yang was glad that Blake wasn't in, she could only imagine what the girl would say if she saw Ruby like that. Granted when she first saw the girl, she noticed the cat ears and figured that the smell would end up giving it away anyway, but Yang didn't want to worry about that too much.

Pulling out her phone as she was following Yang, Pyrrha loaded up a video that she felt would be very fitting in that moment. "You know, hopefully she doesn't…" Pyrrha trailed off as she clicked the play button on her phone, and let the video explain the rest.

"Smoke Weed Everyday!"

"God dammit, Pyrrha," Yang groaned as she sat Ruby down on her own bed.

"I couldn't resist," Pyrrha replied. "If you two need anything though, just let me know. I'll be in my room so just knock and I'll answer."

"Alright, see ya, Pyrrha," Yang responded as Pyrrha walked out the door.

Walking back into her own room, Pyrrha wasn't sure what to think about what it was she had just witnessed. In the end, she resigned to a simple sigh as she closed the door and returned to playing her guitar. Once she was back in her room, one thought went through the girl's head, ' _What did I get myself into?_ '

* * *

 **AN: Noble: THE DUCK RETURNS!**

 **I'm really glad that we were able to throw in the duck that made an appearance in G.T.R. when Ruby was high during that story. That was a nice little reference to my own story, and the Newspaper is a reference to Commander's story. There will be references to all of our own stories scattered throughout the entirety of this, so just be aware of that when you read this.**

 **Now, just so you guys are aware, this chapter was written between myself and Phoenix Commander, and chapters 3 &4 have been written out by me. You may ask why I was the one who did all that? Well the answer is simple, I had the free time to do it and give us a bit of backlog while the others may not have had the chance. We do have our own stuff to work on as well so just remember that.**

 **Just so you guys know, that is probably the worst that it's going to get for this fic. There won't be any really hard drug use, just the occasional smoking of dat herb and alcohol, lots of alcohol.**

 **Phoenix Cmdr: First, never have I ever smoked weed so this chapter was probably the hardest I've written. If you want to argue the side effects of weed on Ruby's mind you know where to find me. Second, please drink responsibly while enjoying the insanity of Room 205. Unlike how we did. Lastly….THE NEWSPAPER IS BACK!**

 **BurningPeace: Someone better finds Sun's dealer, he's lacing his weed with the good stuff.**

 **Lymle300: That's not the good stuff, the good stuff is more like- Oh wait a minute. Ahaha, that was close, caught myself. Good thing, too. That would not have been a fun time….**

 **Phoenix Cmdr: Nice save. I already field reviews. I don't need to field an FBI case as well.**

 **GhostPhoenix113: Not to mention someone else as well.**

 **Phoenix Cmdr: *shudders at the sound of rapidly tapping keys***

 **GhostPhoenix113: Well, at least it's not the KGB.**

 **Phoenix Cmdr: I'd rather face them.**

 **GhostPhoenix113: *Shrugs* Fair enough.**

 **Noble: Before we go, I wanted to mention to you lovely people that we are going to be posting on a weekly basis every friday, so that should give you an idea of how we are going about things.**

 **Alright, hope you enjoyed this chapter, here's a little outtake for your viewing pleasure. Thank you for reading, and don't forget to follow/fave/review at your earliest convenience. Please control your orgasms as you read through our omake, and have a wonderful day.**

* * *

 _ **Omake**_

"Your sister didn't happen to get those brownies from a monkey Faunus did she?" Blake asked Yang as they walked through the campus quad.

"Yeah she did why, know anything about him?" Yang asked, glancing at her room mate as they walked back toward the bake stand that had started the chaos earlier that day.

"God damn it Wukong..." Blake muttered, thinking back to the shenanigans her friend had pulled in the past.

"Has this friend of yours been baking long?" Yang whispered, pulling Blake short of the stand.

"Last time I had to deal with Sun he tried spiking the punch during our high school prom." Blake deadpanned in reply.

"That doesn't seem so bad." Yang said, having done something similar during her high school prom.

"He was trying to spike it with catnip." Blake growled, her bow twitching slightly.

"Oh..." Yang trailed off, the effects of catnip on her room mate dawning on her. She watched as Blake walked up to the stand and started to accost the blonde haired Faunus.

"Hey Sun! You wouldn't happen to have sold any of your...brownies today would you?" She said glaring at the perpetrator.

"Me? Naw nothing sold today." Sun replied, trying to play off the encounter. Until Blake started to count down.

"3...2..." Her eyes narrowed with each word, as if searching for some tell that would give him away.

"Alright yes, sold some to that one's sister." Sun said, pointing quickly at Yang.

"Hand me all of it now! And if you try selling to my roommates again I'll be going to the dean." Blake said, a low growl forming in her throat.

"Ok h-here's a-all I-I've baked. I s-swear I-I w-won't s-sell to your r-roommates again." Sun said, nervously handing over all the baked goods.

"Thanks Sun. I'll catch you in class and please try and clean yourself up. You look like something a cat drug in off the street." Blake said, turning on her heel and walking back to Yang.


	3. Always Remember to Knock

' _First day is usually the hardest day, right?_ ' Yang thought to herself as she walked back to her dorm from a hard day of classes. ' _If that's the case then I'm really going to be screwed this year. Does the school have something against freshman or something like that?_ '

Yang had 3 classes on her first day, all of which were boring as hell and required an obscene amount of homework to complete. A math class with the most boring professor, a speech class that she didn't know why she needed to take, and a biology class that at least somewhat piqued her interest since it was kind of related into what she was doing, even if she was really making a stretch for that one.

' _At least tomorrow I'll have courses within my major all day, and only two of them_ ' She continued to say in her own mind as she started to walk back into the dorm. Everyone seemed to have their own schedules, and they all seemed to have points where they got the chance to sit down and enjoy lunch with someone, except for Pyrrha, though she had others from the soccer team to eat with during the time she could get lunch.

While she got to spend her time enjoying lunch with her sister Ruby, Jaune, and Nora, Yang was exhausted by the time she had gotten to that point, and she still had two classes afterwards to contend with. Though she heard that there was going to be an involvement fair that Thursday and she had agreed to go check it out with Ruby since she had the time to actually do so. When Nora mentioned something about a paintball/airsoft club, both Yang and Ruby were interested in what they had to offer, and so they had at least one thing to check out while they were at the fair.

Still, she had her classes to contend with between now and then and she knew that her Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays were all going to suck. At least she had Ruby with her in the math class, and she had Ren in her bio class with her. ' _Who wants to have to teach math at 9 in the morning? There should be some law against allowing that in the world_ ,' Yang groaned as she almost reached the dorm.

"Sounds like you had a rough first day," Ren said to Yang after she had groaned.

Truth be told, Yang had almost forgotten that Ren was walking back with her since they were both done for the day. "You could say something like that," Yang replied after a second. "I swear, anyone who teaches math at 9 in the morning is evil."

"Sometimes that's what you do for your job," Ren replied. "Not everyone has the luxury of picking what they teach and when. Most of the time the professors are told when they have classes to teach, or they have other classes they have to work around and can't pick a time that is convenient because of that."

"Still, who could be cheerful for math that early?"

"I don't know, but I'm sure you'll adjust to it by the time the semester gets underway," Ren replied as they reached the dorm. Upon entering the dorm, the two of them noticed Pyrrha walking out with all of her soccer gear. "Hey Pyrrha."

"Hello," Pyrrha waved as she walked by. "Can't chat, got practice to get to."

"Alright, have fun!" Yang called out to her as she walked away, receiving a wave from Pyrrha. "Come on, let's get back inside."

"Sure thing," Ren replied.

As the two of them made their way upstairs, Yang still had one question that she never got to ask. "So, how long did the Ice Queen yell at you and Jaune for on Friday?"

"Eh, a good while," Ren shrugged. "I know it could've been worse though. Mostly it was directed at Jaune since he actually tried to flirt with her."

"Are you shitting me?" Yang laughed after hearing that. "Man, I thought he was just some scrawny nerd, never realized he actually had the balls to flirt with someone who was yelling at him."

"All it got him was a good smack on the back of the head though," Ren said as they reached their dorm.

"Yeah, and I'm sure Weiss ignored you because you and Nora are dating," Yang mentioned.

Ren let out a deep sigh when Yang mentioned him and Nora being together. "You know, I'm not entirely sure on that myself," Ren groaned. "She never said anything to me, so if you hear something, please let me know."

"How does someone not know if they're in a relationship with someone?"

"With Nora, it's no surprise," Ren mentioned. "She never once said that she was committed to me, and while she openly acts like she is in a relationship, I've seen her make out with a fair number of other women and brag to me about it. You just get used to her ways after a while."

"Wow," Yang said before opening up the door. "Wait, isn't she going to be upset that you basically outed her as bi?"

"It's Nora, if you haven't heard it directly from her yet, you were bound to at some point," Ren replied, opening the door to their dorm. "She doesn't care if I mention it to people because she doesn't care what people think of her."

"Damn, sounds like you hit the jackpot with her, don't you think?"

"You would think that's the case," Ren began to say. "But I say once again, it's Nora. You have to know her in order to understand what I mean by that." Ren started to walk over to the room he shared with Jaune in the dorm and walked inside. "See ya, Yang."

After watching Ren close the door to his room, Yang walked over to her room and opened it up. She should've known that it wasn't wise for her to go inside for a few reasons: one, the strange noises coming from inside of the room, and second there was a rustling coming from within that she was oblivious to. Once she opened the door however, it was the sudden shriek and crash that actually grabbed her attention.

Looking up, she noticed that Blake was in her bed, her arms propping her up on the elbows, while her entire lower half was underneath the blankets. Blake's face looked completely red and Yang finally noticed a somewhat weird smell in the room. She had an idea of what Blake was doing, but it wasn't until she looked over at Blake's laptop, which looked like it was thrown across the room from Blake before she realized what it was that Blake was doing. It didn't help that the screen of her laptop was practically frozen right on what it was that Blake was watching before the laptop happened to be launched.

Yang's expression went blank as she noticed the provocative picture that was frozen to Blake's screen, before it eventually flickered and her entire screen went white. It all clicked in her head what it was that Blake was doing, the image of what Blake was looking at before she walked in, even the website that Blake was on before doing so.

"Uuhhhh..."

"W-what are you doing here?" Blake stammered out, embarrassed at what had just transpired.

"I live here?"

Blake seemed to forget about that little detail in her prior actions. "Oh, right, I forgot about that."

"So, you were watching-"

"D-don't...you know what it was, don't actually say it out-"

"Porn."

"God dammit, Yang," Blake cursed, hiding underneath her blankets. "Why did you have to say it?"

"Because it's funny?" Yang admitted. "No need to be embarrassed by that, I don't mind that you do that kind of stuff. Just next time, warn me before I get back from classes so that I don't interrupt, ok?"

"Fine," Blake said from under her blankets.

"Anyway," Yang said as she walked into the room and took a look at Blake's laptop. "I think Ruby may be able to fix this, but don't get your hopes up. Don't know what she would be able to do for it."

Blake poked her head up above her blankets for a second. "Why do you think Ruby would be able to fix it exactly?"

"She's in Computer Science...or was it Engineering?" Yang pondered. "In any case, she would possibly know what to do for this. Just got to wait for her to get back."

"Is she going to know-"

"Yes, she is going to know that you were watching porn," Yang admitted. "I'm sure she would've asked why you threw it across the room, and do you really want to lie to her about it, only to have her find out about it if she does manage to fix it?"

"Good point," Blake admitted. "Hey uh, Yang?"

"What's up?"

"Can you leave for a few minutes?"

"Why?"

"So I can put my pants back on?"

Opening her mouth to respond, Yang ended up not saying anything and instead, she immediately turned around and walked out of the room, throwing Blake's laptop onto her own bed in the process. ' _I take it back, this semester looks like it might go well after all,_ ' Yang thought to herself once she flopped down onto the couch.

* * *

 **BLAKE**

A week after Yang had accidentally walked in on her, Blake was really frustrated. While Ruby was able to get all of her files and programs she had off of the computer, the computer itself was busted and there wasn't anything Ruby could do for it except advise Blake to get a new laptop. Yang was nice enough to let Blake use her laptop in the meantime, but it was hard to deal with. Blake didn't want to corrupt Yang's computer with any illicit searches because that wasn't fair to the blonde.

After a long day of classes, Blake was really tired, so much so that she nearly missed the box that was placed onto her bed. She nearly sat on it, but once she noticed it, she moved the box onto her lap and saw that there was an envelope on top of it. Opening it up, she noticed that it appeared to be a company letter of some sorts.

What really surprised her was that it was from the website she was on before her laptop was destroyed.

 _Dear Sir or Madam,_

 _It has come to our attention that in your use of our website, your laptop was destroyed in an incident involving our site. After hearing about this, we at PornHub would like to offer you this new laptop to replace the one that you have lost. Feel free to use this at your own leisure, and thank you for your continued support of our website._

Blake was surprised at the letter, and she saw that it was indeed a new laptop for her to use. What she saw that really grabbed her attention, was that there seemed to be a second, hand-written letter that was with it as well.

 _Hey Blake,_

 _So, sorry about destroying your laptop last week. I wanted to make it up to you so I got you a new laptop. Don't worry, I told the company that it was my laptop and that it was my dad who walked in and forced me to throw it off my bed, so all of the real embarrassment is on me. I did have to tell my mom and dad about it though, but don't worry, my dad will only tease you about it around certain company (only around myself, Ruby, and our Uncle Qrow), so you're all in the clear._

 _Hopefully this makes up for destroying it earlier!_

 _Yang_

 _-P.S. I made sure the computer was clean, so you don't need to worry about anything screwing you over. I got my connections._

Blake could only shake her head and smile. It was a nice gesture by Yang, and while she knew that there was going to be some teasing involved, she was glad that Yang went out of her way and took the heat for her. Seeing the laptop itself though, she knew that it was a genuine work of art, with all of the PornHub stickers plastered all over it.

"God dammit, Yang," Blake said to herself. "Thanks."

What Blake didn't see was the last little note that slipped out of the box. It was small and typed out, with only one line of text on it.

 _Don't make this a weekly thing. I didn't need to know peanut butter could be used that way._

* * *

 **AN: Noble: So guys, do you remember that thing that happened over the summer where this kid was looking at porn and literally punched his computer so that his mom wouldn't catch him watching porn? Then he tweeted the site what he went through by destroying his computer and so the website sent him a new one plastered in porn stickers?**

 **Phoenix Cmdr: Yang probably placed those decals on the computer after it was delivered. I swear they are made with cement instead of normal adhesive. Fucking hard to remove after being placed.**

 **Peace: Sounds like Yang's MO.**

 **Noble: Yeah this is based off of that story, but it has a little bit of a twist to it. We had the idea of Yang walking in on Blake "relieving herself", and then I just decided to take it one step further than that. When I remembered that one story that happened, I couldn't resist throwing that little twist into the mix.**

 **Don't worry, this won't be the last that we see in regards to Blake and porn (she reads a book in canon called Ninjas of Love for fucks sake).**

 **Btw, anyone curious who sent that last letter?**

 **Ghost: OH! I know! I know!**

 **Noble: …...OF COURSE YOU WOULD KNOW DAMMIT! *VIOLENTLY SHAKES GHOST* WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOUR BRAIN?!**

 **Ghost: I'm not sure. If you find out, please be sure to tell me!**

 **Phoenix Cmdr: If you guys have any ideas please feel free to guess. But don't leave them as a thought bubble floating above your head. Reviews. Do. Get. Read. And. Replied To!**

 **Peace: Wait, they do? When did we start this policy?**

 **Phoenix Cmdr: Since chapter one. Where have you been?...Oh wait you weren't here at that point.**

 **Peace: Yeah, and then Blake gave me some brownies… I'm not sure what quite happened last week...**

 **Noble: Well Peace, they do, so be sure to leave them for us to read.**

 **Ghost: Wait, you guys can read?**

 **Noble: *Insert God Damnit Ghost Picture here* (They exist)**

 **Ghost: Hey, I'll be here all week! And next week!**

 **Peace: And the next week. And the next week.**

 **Ghost: Well, I won't be where I am now. I'm moving!**

 **Noble: *Knocks out both Ghost and Peace* God damn these guys are hard to handle at times.**

 **Phoenix Cmdr: Ummm…...phrasing.**

 **Peace: *Unconsciously* Ha.**

 **Noble: Anyway, thank you for tuning into our insane Author's no-er I mean….chapter! Hopefully you enjoy it and please leave a review, and don't forget to Follow and Fave this!**

 **Angel: Alright, my turn to say something! Wait! It's over? No, not yet! no! NO!**

 _ **fin**_


	4. With a Little Help from my Friends

**AN:**

 **(Back in Chapter 1)**

 **Rose: ...Ugh, my head…*looks around*...Hello? Guys?...**

 **(Back in Chapter 3)**

 **Peace: Uhhh… Where the hell am I…**

 **Ghost: Not sure. I think I see the rest of them about a hundred yards that way though.**

 **Peace: Well, dipshits left the chapter here. Better get this to them.**

* * *

 **Chapter four: With a Little Help from my Friends**

 **Ruby:**

"The year 1763 marked the end of the French-American war, which as well all know, is a crucial point in this country's history."

Ruby sat there, listening to Dr. Oobleck go on with the lecture, but as much as she needed to pay attention to what he was saying, Ruby had such a hard time doing so. The amount of work that was required, just to keep up with what he was saying was nearly impossible for Ruby to keep up with. It wasn't just in his class either, Ruby was struggling with all of her classes too. She didn't know what she could do to keep up with the work.

Because of how much Ruby had been struggling to keep up, she refused to speak up during classes, and she would avoid looking at the teacher as he was looking for anyone to answer his questions. What's worse is that because of how hard it was for her to stay up to date, she was starting to doubt her ability to perform well and she felt as if it was a bad idea for her to even attend college, despite how she was personally invited by the school headmaster to attend.

Ruby could tell that her struggles were affecting her relationships with the people she was living with as well. Yang was often the only person she talked to, but everyone else she more or less just kept away from, even though they were awesome people. One of the people she was living with, Pyrrha Nikos, who happened to be in the class she was currently in at that moment, seemed like she would help, but Ruby didn't want to put anything else onto the girl, believing that she had her own problems to deal with.

Listening to Dr. Oobleck ramble on at lightning speed, Ruby was glad when she noticed that class was ready to dismiss. She actually missed it when Oobleck said that class was dismissed because he talked so fast, and it was only when she saw everyone else standing up and leaving the room did she realize that the class was over. So she packed up her own stuff and started to walk out of the classroom and head back to the dorm.

"Hey, Ruby," Pyrrha said to her as she left with Ruby. Pyrrha had been sitting next to Ruby for that class, so she could see that Ruby was having a hard time, and she wanted to do something about it.

"What's up?"

"Just wondering how you were doing," Pyrrha said. "I can tell that you're having a hard time and-"

"I'm doing fine, Pyrrha," Ruby deflected, all while trying to avoid being rude towards Pyrrha. "I appreciate the concern but really, I'm fine. I gotta get going, I'll talk to you later!" Ruby turned and walked back towards the dorms, leaving Pyrrha to wonder why she would cut the conversation as short as she did.

* * *

 **Pyrrha:**

By the time Pyrrha got back to the dorm, she was absolutely exhausted. Practice was brutal earlier in the day and now that classes had gotten underway, Pyrrha was working to balance everything out. It wasn't as if this was a first for her, but it took a bit of time to find that right point where she had time for everything. She was ready to jump into the shower and get started on her work once she was out, let the warm water allow her tired muscles to rest.

Once she opened the front door though, Pyrrha was surprised by what awaited her, Ruby and Yang looking like they were in the middle of an argument.

"Yang, what do you mean you can't help me?" Ruby cried out as she talked to Yang in the kitchen.

"I mean that I have too much going on right now that I can't drive you back home to pick up the parts," Yang rebuked. "I know you're looking forward to that, but I really don't have the time to help today."

"Ugh, this sucks!" Ruby lamented.

"Everything alright?" Pyrrha asked once she shut the front door.

"Ruby got word from our mom that the parts for her computer are all in at home and I don't have the time to go and drive her home to pick them up with her," Yang said.

"You promised that you would get them with me the day that they all came in though," Ruby groaned.

"And I hate that I have to renege on that, but this is something that I can't miss out on," Yang replied. "I have a test already and I'm want to get a head start on this in case something goes wrong during the semester."

"Hence why I said this sucks," Ruby groaned as she flopped down onto the couch.

All the while, Pyrrha was thinking of a way that she could help Ruby out. She wanted to make friends out of the people she was living with, even though two of them were guys, but now it was even more apparent.

' _Man, she really looks down about this,_ ' Pyrrha thought to herself. ' _You know what, I think I can afford to skip out on doing what I need to get done for just one night, it's to help a friend after all._ '

Walking towards her room, Pyrrha quickly threw her stuff onto the bed and changed out of her practice gear, thankful that Nora wasn't in the room at the moment. Throwing on a tee shirt, with a brown hooded leather jacket, as well as a crimson miniskirt with gray leggings and a pair of brown boots, Pyrrha felt more presentable, even though she had forgone her shower. Grabbing the keys to her car, Pyrrha walked out of her room and stopped by where Ruby was still laying on the couch.

"How far of a drive is it to your house?" Pyrrha asked, surprising both Ruby and Yang.

Yang, who was making dinner for herself at the time, knew exactly what it was that Pyrrha was doing. "I'm guessing you have your own car then?" All the while, Ruby continued to have a hopeful look on her face that maybe things would work out after all.

"Yeah, I do have a car and I have a GPS, so I'm gonna need an address to your place," Pyrrha admitted before turning to Ruby. "I can help you out since Yang isn't able to, so get anything you need and follow me."

"Yay!" Ruby proclaimed as she jumped up and ran over to her room to grab her stuff.

Pyrrha chuckled as she watched Ruby run over to her room, Yang outright laughing at Ruby's attitude. "I really appreciate you doing this, Pyrrha," Yang said once Ruby was in her room. "I felt bad about not being able to do it, but it isn't as bad now that I know she is able to still get the parts to her computer."

"Well, what kind of friend would I be if I didn't try to be helpful when my friends need it?"

Before Yang could answer, Pyrrha noticed that Ruby had returned, her normal red sweatshirt now adorning her body. "Let's go!"

"Ruby," Yang said before Ruby tore her way out the front door. "First of all, slow down a second and wait for Pyrrha since she's going out of her way to help you. Second, do you have everything that you need? Phone, wallet, keys, all of that?"

"Yes, Yang," Ruby grumbled as she was forced to wait.

"Do mom and dad know that I'm not going to be there with you?" Yang asked.

"I was about to text mom and let her know about that," Ruby replied. "Now can I go?"

"Alright, just make sure to get Pyrrha to the right place, ok?" Yang said before letting Ruby start to walk out with Pyrrha, who happened to be standing by the door waiting for the young red head to show up.

As the two of them walked over to the parking garage where Pyrrha kept her car, Ruby was bouncing around all over the place around Pyrrha. "Ruby, calm down would you? We'll get there soon."

"I'm just so excited!" Ruby said once they entered the garage.

"Alright," Pyrrha led them up to where her car was parked and unlocked the car. Pyrrha was glad about the car she had been given by her parents, a new Dodge Challenge painted a metallic crimson. "Now, just be careful when you get in here, alright?"

"Alright," Ruby said as she got into the car with Pyrrha.

"So, where are we going?" Pyrrha asked, pulling her GPS out of the glove box.

"I'll plug it into the GPS for you," Ruby said. "It's not too far away though, so don't worry about that."

"Cool," Pyrrha said as she started to drive off towards the direction Ruby's house lay. Pyrrha noticed that Ruby was texting someone, a person she assumed to be Ruby's parents. It was going to be a little weird for Pyrrha, but she remembered that this was so she could help Ruby with a problem she was having. "So, what's up with you?"

"Oh, not much," Ruby replied. "Just trying to get through classes."

"Speaking of which," Pyrrha began to say. "From what I can tell, it seems like you're having a hard time with classes, yet you don't want any help. Even earlier today, you were quick to run off when I wanted to offer some help to you."

"There's nothing wrong though," Ruby said, shelling up a bit. "I appreciate the concern, but this isn't anything that you need to worry about."

"Ruby," Pyrrha sighed. "I can tell that you're lying to me, we sit right next to each other in history and you haven't once attempted to take notes or participate in class. That tells me a completely different story than what you're saying to me right now."

"Why does college have to be so hard?" Ruby asked.

"I'm sure you've been told this during your senior year that college wasn't going to be easy," Pyrrha replied.

"That's the thing, I didn't go through my senior year," Ruby mentioned. Pyrrha was surprised by that, but waited for Ruby to respond before asking her about anything. "I was moved ahead a year because I was talented enough to get a dual major in computer science and computer engineering. I didn't do my senior year of high school."

After giving it a moment of thought, Pyrrha had an idea of what it was that Ruby was saying. "So, because you were moved ahead a year, you feel that puts you behind in terms of being here at school?" Getting a nod from Ruby, Pyrrha realized just what it was that had caused Ruby to freak out ever since college started for them. Unfortunately, she realized that Ruby wasn't in the mood to continue the conversation, and so Pyrrha just stayed silent as the two of them continued to make their way over Ruby's home.

By the time the two of them got there, it was starting to get dark out, and Ruby could see from the outside that her family was preparing to make dinner. Pyrrha found a place to park in the driveway of the two story house and got out of the car with Ruby so that she could help bring the boxes over to her car. Seeing Ruby open up the front door, Pyrrha walked in, but stayed close to the door, unsure of what she should do in a moment like this.

It was a surprise when she saw a woman who was practically a splitting image of Ruby, albeit looking a bit older than Ruby does, walk over to the pair. "Hey there sweetheart."

"Hi mom," Ruby said as she hugged her mother. "Oh, mom, this is my friend Pyrrha, she's one of the people who I'm staying with at school."

"A pleasure to meet you, Pyrrha," Ruby's mother said. "I'm Summer Rose, Ruby and Yang's mother. Ruby, why don't you and Pyrrha go join us for dinner since it's on the table? We have roast beef and mashed potatoes."

"Oh, that sounds awesome!" Ruby shouted as she ran over to the dinner table, leaving Pyrrha alone with her mother.

"Hahaha, oh my little rose, she is a handful sometimes," Summer laughed.

"Yeah, she certainly seems like an incredible person," Pyrrha agreed.

"Yeah," Summer agreed. "I do appreciate you coming out here to help her bring her computer parts over to school."

"Really, it's no trouble at all," Pyrrha said.

"Well, I'm not going to let you do such a kind thing without anything in return," Summer said. "Come on, at least let us give you a nice homemade meal for your troubles."

"Alright, I'm not one to turn down a homemade meal," Pyrrha admitted. "Or, any meal for that matter." Summer led Pyrrha over to the dinner table, where Pyrrha noticed that Ruby was sitting and talking with her father.

"Ah, Ruby, you didn't tell me we had a guest," Ruby's father Taiyang said. "Taiyang Xiao Long, a pleasure to meet you."

"Pyrrha Nikos," Pyrrha replied. "I'm one of the people living with Yang and Ruby at the dorms."

"I take it you didn't have any trouble getting over here?" Taiyang asked.

"No, not really," Pyrrha said. "It was a relatively uneventful drive."

"That's good to hear," Taiyang said. "So hun, how was work today?"

"You know that I can't tell you," Summer said. "I doubt my boss would be lenient with me on that regard."

"Oh, I'm sure the NSA wouldn't last without you around," Taiyang replied.

"The NSA?" Pyrrha asked as she sat down to eat with Ruby and her family.

"Yeah, I always scare anyone who tries anything with Ruby or Yang by saying that I'll be listening to their every conversation," Summer said. "Don't worry though, it's not as bad as you think, believe it or not."

"I would hope so," Pyrrha replied before going to enjoy the meal that was provided to her.

* * *

Once their meal was done, Ruby and Pyrrha slowly put all of the parts to Ruby's computer into her car. As they left, Pyrrha wasn't surprised by the impression she had gotten from Ruby's parents, she certainly did get a lot of her charm and personality from her mother. ' _I guess she also gets her looks from her mom as well...wait, what?_ ' Pyrrha thought to herself before starting up the car as Ruby climbed in.

On their way back, Ruby was all smiles, though Pyrrha could assume that it was because of the fact that she got what looked to be a very expensive computer. That was when Pyrrha remembered something she wanted to mention to Ruby.

"You know, I was in your position at one point," Pyrrha said.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Ruby asked.

"I was once struggling to learn about how I should manage college," Pyrrha said. "Would you believe me if I told you that this isn't my first year of college?"

"Wait, you're not a freshman?" Ruby asked.

"Well, technically you could say that I am, but that's because the school wouldn't accept some of the courses that I already took at my last school, so I have to retake a good number of courses," Pyrrha said. "Regardless, that isn't what I wanted to talk with you about."

"Sorry," Ruby mumbled.

"Last year was actually my first year of school," Pyrrha began. "I was out at the University of Chicago and it really was a tough experience for me to go through. I didn't know anyone and on top of academics, I also had athletics to factor into my time. Eventually I managed to find a way to manage my time better, and I've gotten good at sticking to that, but it wasn't easy for me to do, especially all by myself."

Pyrrha sighed as she thought about the memories she did make while at her last school. "My roommate at the time, May Zedong, she was a really nice person, and she did help a little bit with getting me on track, but we both eventually knew that I wouldn't be able to stay at the school because of what I wanted to study, and so she actually encouraged me to transfer."

"Um, Pyrrha?" Ruby began to ask. "I know you have a reason for this, but why are you trying to tell me this?"

"I want to tell you that it's alright to ask for help every now and then," Pyrrha replied. "I needed help, and I didn't have many people who were able to help me. I know that you need help, but unlike me you have plenty of people who want to, and who are willing to help you. What I'm trying to tell you, is that I want to help you do the best that you can, and I'll do what I can to make sure that happens, ok?"

Ruby smiled after hearing how Pyrrha would be willing to go out of her way to help her. "Alright, I really appreciate this," Ruby replied. "Thank you so much."

"Anything for a friend," Pyrrha mentioned.

While Pyrrha and Ruby ended up falling into a deep silence as the lights of the city passed over the top of their car, the two of them felt comfortable with where they were as friends. The rest of the ride back was enjoyable, quiet, peaceful, and they were content to let it just stay that way.

* * *

 **AN: Noble: Ahh… my inhuman hands are a work of magic!**

 **Phoenix Cmdr: Your fucking inhuman hands are gonna kill us one of these days.**

 **Ghost: (panting) Thank fuck we finally caught up to you jackasses**

 **Peace: (also panting) Don't… Ever do that again...**

 **Angel: You guys are slow.**

 **Ghost: Noble fucking knocked us out!**

 **Angel: You should have woken up faster!**

 **Phoenix Cmdr: You guys are fucking wimps if those slaps knocked you guys out.**

 **Peace: You've seen those fucking hands.**

 **Noble: Too be fair, I knocked Peace and Ghost out with fists… *Comes upon a realization* Oh wait, I also slapped Rose unconscious….back in chapter 1.**

 **Peace: Remind me to stab you in your sleep later.**

 **Noble: Do I need to call a Gamma on you guys?**

 **Peace: You wish. I have both of them on speed dial. Get your own contacts.**

 **Ghost: And you can't have Omega. He's mine... I think... Hang on, I'll be right back.**

 **Noble: I'll call Sigma then. She's really creative with what she does, just remember that.**

 **Moving on to the actual chapter. Are any of you guys surprised by us bringing in Summer? Let us know in the reviews! We love seeing them, and hopefully you guys are enjoying the story itself (though we get it if you are only here for the ANs at this point).**

 **Phoenix Cmdr: Enjoy the insane journey. We'll see you all on the other side. (pun unintended)**

 **Ghost: Okay, I'm back with some good news and bad news. Good news is Omega is mine. Bad news is Omega is mine *evil laugh*.**

 **Peace: That's why I have the Gammas. Call it insurance.**

 **Noble: Alright, the Chapter is ending here!**

 **Sylver: But I haven't said anything in the last two chapters.**

 **Noble: I won't hit you because I love you… but alas I really must end the chapter.**

 **Everyone else: AWWWW!**

 **Noble: Jealous much?**

 **Anyway, hope you guys enjoyed the chapter, and I hope to see you guys again in the future!**

 **Rose: (In the distance) YOU FUCKERS! WAIT UP!**


	5. Jaune's First Mistake

**Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah, Happy Kwanza, and Happy Holidays to those who celebrate something else, or nothing at all. We hope you enjoy your holiday season and that your days go by wonderfully.**

 **Sincerely,**

 **The Fellowship of the Meta**

* * *

 _I really should have gone to the bathroom before class_ , Jaune thought as he practically ran through the dorm halls until he finally made it to the stairs. He quickly made his way up to the second floor and swiped his card through the door to room 205, pulling open the door. Jaune pulled at the doorknob of the bathroom on the left side of the room.

"Just a minute!" A cheerful Ruby replied.

 _Oh, come on!_ Jaune thought.

He turned to the other bathroom and ran over across the common room. He quickly pulled the doorknob again and flew inside, slamming the door behind him.

"What the fucking hell are you doing!" someone shrieked from behind Jaune.

He turned around, only to see Weiss Schnee, desperately holding her legs together in an attempt to shield herself from Jaune's eyes.

"Get out, right _now_ , or I will kill you where you stand, Arc," Weiss yelled.

Jaune quickly ran out of the room and shut the door behind him.

 _Why me?_ he thought as he slid down the door.

Weiss walked out of the bathroom. " _Now_ you can go in," Weiss said, giving Jaune a glare.

Jaune hurried inside. When he was finally out, he saw Weiss standing there tapping her foot.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go have a chat with Goodwitch," she said, turning on her heels.

"What? Why?" Jaune shouted, running after her.

"Because! You walked in on me what I was in the bathroom!" Weiss shouted.

"But-"

"I don't care! You caused this issue!" Weiss yelled as she entered the building's stairwell.

"Weiss, wait!"

"Why should I?! Why should I listen to a single word you have to say?"

"Please! It was a mistake! Will you just listen for a minute?!"

"NO! I'm going straight to Ms. Goodwitch, and I am going to tell her that I want you out of my dorm! I won't deal with some idiot that doesn't even know how to fill out a form properly! You had your one chance, and you blew it!"

Weiss made her way to the door, only for Jaune to throw himself in front of it. "Weiss, you don't understand. I will do anything to make this up to you. Anything at all. But please, I can't get kicked out! This was the only school that accepted my portfolio! I can't go anywhere else!"

"I fail to see how that is my problem," Weiss replied, crossing her arms as she glared at Jaune. But, she stopped none-the-less.

"It's not, but please, this is all I have. Art is all I'm good at, and I can't go anywhere else! I can't go back to disappointing my family! When they saw I got accepted here, for the first time, they took my art seriously! I can't go back to the screwup who can draw kinda well!"

"..." Weiss didn't make a move to walk away, but her eyes softened a bit. Jaune took this as his sign to keep going.

"I'll do anything, anything at all. Just please, let me make it up to you."

"You'll do anything?"

"Anything?"

"Anything I say?"

"Yes, just please, don't go to Ms. Goodwitch. I'm begging you…"

Weiss was silent a moment, her foot tapping as she seemed to think it over. Eventually, the tapping stopped, and she looked Jaune in the eye. "Fine, I won't go to Goodwitch. But for the next week, you will do anything I say, is that clear?"

"Yes!" Jaune said, almost too quickly. "Yes, I can do that."

"Good. Then for starters, you can get out of the way. I have class. And then you can go the the cafeteria and get me an apple. Pick out a good one, and rub the wax off. I'll expect it as soon as I get out of class."

Jaune was a slightly shocked at how quickly Weiss got around to ordering him around, but none the less he stepped aside and watched as the made her way down the hall. It wasn't until she walked out of sight that he started to realize exactly what he got himself into.

* * *

"Your late…" Weiss said without turning about as Jaune came to a stop beside here.

"Sorry," Jaune panted. He had just sprinted across campus, and had yet to catch his breath.

"Where's the apple?"

"Here," Jaune gasped, holding out the polished fruit. He had almost forgotten about it while Weiss was in class, but remembered at the last possible moment. Thankfully, the line for the cafeteria hadn't been long, otherwise he would have never made it.

"Good. Now carry my bag. My next class is in the Palmer Building on the edge of campus, and I would rather not carry it all the way there."

"But that's on the opposite end of campus from my next class! That starts in 30 minutes!"

"Then I suggest you run when we get there."

* * *

By the time Jaune made it to class, he was already 10 minutes late. As quietly as he could, he slipped into the class, thanking some unseen force that set this classroom up with the doors in the back. He took the seat nearest the door, and began to listen to the professor.

"Now remember to check your algebra here, because it can be very easy to get tripped up here. And if you don't factor this portion properly, you will screw-up the integral term and not get the proper heat generated term for your process."

'Whaaa…' Jaune, thought, before realizing he didn't recognize the professor at all. Nor any of the figures written on the board. Or if it was even math on that board. All of which was a problem, especially given the fact that he was supposed to be in his english class.

The one across the hall…

As quick as he could, Jaune gathered his things and made for the door.

Unfortunately, he wouldn't be able to sneak into that room as well as he had the first.

* * *

Jaune eventually worked his way back to his dorm, his spirits partially crushed by the withering glare his professor had bored into his back as he left the room. All he wanted to do was go to his room, curl up into his bed, and just sleep the rest of the day away. But just as he was reaching for his door, a cough stopped him in his tracks. Slowly turning, his heart sank as he saw Weiss standing behind him, tapping her foot.

With a small flourish of papers, she held out a small stack of papers. "I have a paper due Wednesday. I'm not so heartless as to make you write it, but you will edit it. I expected you to go over this three times, and have it back to me tonight."

Jaune just looked at the pile of papers in Weiss's hands, and felt his heart sink. But he had made his promise, and he had no intention of backing out now.

"What's it for?" Jaune asked, begrudgingly extending his hand.

"Nothing major, just the effects of the Civil War on the northern economy."

Jaune groaned inwardly as the took the papers and walked into his room. It took all his energy to not go straight for his bed, but to the desk against the wall and begin marking Weiss's paper for errors.

* * *

By the time Friday came around, Jaune was exhausted. Each morning, Weiss had Jaune go get her breakfast, forcing him to wake up hours before he usually would. Each afternoon, he had to rush across campus giving Weiss her daily apple and carrying her stuff to class, only to sprint back across campus to just barely make it to his class on time. Once it was done, he would meet Weiss in the dorm, and spend half the night assisting her with her homework. As an art major, he hoped to never look at an accounting spreadsheet in his life. But in this one week, he had become so familiar with them, he felt like an Excel god. And once that was done, he was finally able to do his own homework. Something that kept him up well past midnight. From there, he would struggle to fall asleep, feeling like his head had just hit the pillow when his alarm started to go off.

That Friday, however, was when it changed.

* * *

Weiss walked into her account management class, throwing the remainder of the apple into the wastebin by the door. Even if Jaune was a nuisance and quite possibly a pervert, he probably had good intentions. No matter what she said, he did it without hesitating. And damn if he wasn't good at it. When she had gotten that paper back from him, she had been amazed at the changes he suggested. He had even corrected her on a bit of her logic for the effect of the war on the metal industry. Perhaps he would be more useful to keep around then to simply kick him to the curb.

"Today I will be assigning projects, due in two week. In order to get you used to working with people you don't know, you will all have partners assigned to you, based on where you are sitting right now. So, those of you sitting in the front row, turn around, and meet your partner. We will do this for every odd row. If you don't have anyone behind you, come up front, and I will assign your partners randomly."  
Weiss turned about and sighed, seeing nothing but the fabric of an empty seat behind her. In no real rush, she gathered her things and made her way down to the front of the class, where a small group of people gathered in front of the professor.

* * *

"So where are you from, Velvet?" Weiss asked as she and her partner walked out of the class.

"Originally, Sydney," the rabbit Faunus replied. "After that, my family moved to San Diego for my father's work."

"Oh, I've heard good things about Sydney. I've always wanted to go there, but I've never had the time."

"We'll maybe one day you can go there with your boyfriend."

"Ha, that will be the day."

"What's his name, by the way?"

Weiss stopped in her tracks, shock etched across her face. "Whose name?"

"Your boyfriend's. He looks nice. I see him walk up with you each day carrying your stuff."

"You mean…"

"Yeah, I wish I could find someone like him. He's pretty cute."

* * *

Jaune had just walked back into the dorm when he felt a buzz from his scroll. He felt his heart sink as he took the phone out of his pocket, only to see a message from Weiss. 'What could she possibly have for me now?' He thought, pulling up the message. But what was on the message only brought about confusion.

'You've held up the end of your bargain, we don't have to finish out the weekend. Now make sure that this never happens again. Ever.'

'Now what caused this change of heart?' Jaune thought as he set his bag down. 'It's almost like she doesn't want to be around me. Could it be, she's embarrassed because she has a crush on me?'

* * *

 **AN: Before we begin the official notes, we here at the Fellowship of the Meta have something we wish to address.**

 **This is in regards to a review that has been removed. To anyone who finds any typos, issues with sentence structure, etcetera. Keep in mind that regardless of how many people are working on a story there will always be mistakes somewhere. Also please consider that because there are nine of us we all have different writing styles. What one of us may consider an error, may actually have been intended by another. If you do spot an error we would prefer you let us know via PM with the location of the error. If the error in question needs to be fixed we will fix it. If it does not need to be fixed one of us will let you know why. If you are unable to send a PM and wish to leave it as a review then please don't be a jerk about it. Letting us know about the error civilly would be appreciated. If you have any questions you know how to get in contact with us. Enjoy the insanity of Room: 205.**

 **Sincerely TFM Complaint Department Representative - Phoenix Commander**

* * *

 **AN Official: Peace: GOD DAMMIT JAUNE! WHY ARE YOU SUCH AN IDIOT?!**

 **Lymle300: Hey man, don't hate the playa, hate his stupidity.**

 **Phoenix Cmdr: I'm just gonna run before Weiss decides to go full Ice Queen on Jaune. QUICK TO THE BUNKER!**

 **Noble:...I have no words.**

 **Ghost: You are quite welcome! We worked hard on this!**

 **Peace: *Slides next to Ghost* YEAH! *high five***

 **Noble: Very true, *addresses the audience* this chapter was written between Ghost and Peace so all the insanity contained is on them.**

 **Ghost: And we're quite proud of it too!**

 **Peace: It's like our baby. Our crazy, crazy baby.**

 **Lymle: Preeettty sure babies aren't supposed to go insane till they hit 10.**

 **Ghost: Ummm…. Maybe going a little TOO far there.**

 **Noble: Yeah please don't feed the baby our usual cocaine, that shit really fucks you up.**

 **Ghost: Hey! I said we weren't taking it that far!**

 **Phoenix Cmdr: I'm gonna have to make a few calls to cover up this shit storm. *pulls out cellphone* Hey Summer, it's me…..yeah they fucked up again! Gonna need a full cover up operation this time.**

 **Summer: *sounds of repeatedly slamming her face onto her desk* Get them under control!**

 **Phoenix Cmdr: Can't promise anything but I will try.**

 **Peace: *Shouting in background* Is that Summer?! Hi Summer! Tell her I said hi!**

 **Summer: *faint grumbling***

 **Phoenix Cmdr: She says hi.**

 **Peace: *Under breath* Yesssss!**

 **Lymle: Think I'm missin somethin here.**

 **Shadow Nightblade: *observes from a distance* What am I getting myself into?**

 **Sylver: Hey, when are we going to have a ba-**

 **Noble: *glares at Sylver* We are not having this conversation right now hun… This isn't the time for that.**

 **Peace: Never stopped you before…**

 **Angel: Senpai? How are babies made?**

 **Noble: Do you really have to ask?**

 **Peace: … What the hell...**

 **Phoenix Cmdr: *Eating a pizza***

 **Ghost: ….Did nobody give Angel the talk?**

 **Peace: ONE TWO THREE NOT IT!**

 **Ghost: Not it either!**

 **Phoenix Cmdr: *laughs and spills soda everywhere***

 **Noble: NOT IT EITHER!**

 **Lymel: Nope!**

 **Phoenix Cmdr: You fuckers and your conversation made me waste a perfectly good pizza!**

 **Angel: Rose, can you tell me? Wait… I'm fuckin' older than him!**

 **Noble: Yeah… We left Rose a while back because he didn't wake up back in chapter 1. Hopefully he catches up eventually, and Commander, I said I was sorry about the pizza.**

 **Phoenix Cmdr: I know. Just pissed about it still.**

 **Peace: You mad bro?**

 **Ghost: I'm still not sorry.**

 **Phoenix Cmdr: Screw you guys.**

 **Rose: (Shouting from chapter 3) Oh! I'll take my sweet time to catch up you fucks!**

 **lymle300: Hey, Rose! I'd ask how the view was when you got up here, but you haven't, rose, to the occasion yet!**

 **Noble: Alright, chapter is ending right here! Hope you guys enjoyed this insanity, and we hope to see you again in the next chapter!**

 **Angel: BudabupbudaBYE!**

 ***Tumbleweed***

 **Phoenix Cmdr: *still mourning the pizza* yes they really had this conversation during brainstorming and made me waste a pizza.**

 ***Tumbleweed***


	6. One Great Night

**REN**

Ren couldn't imagine how he managed to get into the position that he did. Usually he was stuck with Nora clinging to him, yet today it seemed to be just the opposite, he was stuck chasing after Nora in her all but excited behavior. It shouldn't have been much of a surprise to him though, considering that it was her birthday, and he was treating her out to an evening of fun that she had requested.

Hence why they were currently at Atlantic City for an evening on the boardwalk, it was always a fun place that Nora loved to be at, even though the drive over from school was now much longer than either of them had originally anticipated. Originally from Philadelphia, which was where Ren and Nora grew up, a trip would take about an hour, but from Baltimore, where they were now going to school, the trip was two and a half hours to drive there.

Nora was always fascinated every time the two of them went to Atlantic City. The young woman's eyes would always seem to glisten every time she saw the lights coming off of the different places to be while there. Ren remembered the first time that he was able to bring Nora here, how much it made his day just seeing that beautiful smile of hers.

The feelings he felt after seeing Nora like that for the first time were a moment he would never forget. In general that day is one of the moments in his life that would last forever in his eyes. It was when he started to feel something more for Nora, when he started to realize that the two of them had grown so close together in the time that they knew each other.

Ren and Nora grew up in an orphanage together for most of their life. Up until recently, once Ren turned 18 just over a year ago, they had called that little run down orphanage that they lived in together a home. As luck would have it, once Ren turned 18, he apparently inherited money that his parents had left behind for him after their death, as well as their property. Ren saw a chance to escape, and he took it, bringing Nora with him when he left.

Their time in the orphanage was always crazy though, every day Ren seemed to be chasing down Nora in one way or another. They still got the chance to go to school, but it wasn't a well kept school and there were plenty of problems with it. Still, Ren was glad that he at least got to make a close friend throughout the years.

Eventually, both he and Nora found themselves attending the same university together, though Ren wasn't entirely surprised by that little fact. As much as he grumbled about Nora at times, deep down the two of them both knew that they wouldn't be able to survive without the other one around. No one would be able to understand the other as much as they did.

"Ren!" Nora's shout came from the entryway of the boardwalk.

Hearing Nora call out to him as they reached the boardwalk snapped Ren out of his trance, and he walked up next to her. "Yes, Nora?"

"What are you just standing around for?" Nora asked. "Come on, this is going to be so much fun!"

Ren watched as Nora practically took off towards the first thing that caught her eye. With a smile, Ren walked after her since he knew that even Nora wouldn't get too far ahead without him.

" _It's days like today that I'm reminded of just why it is that I love you,_ " He thought to himself while watching Nora enjoying her birthday. But that also raised the question, what did their relationship mean to the orange haired woman?

* * *

 **NORA**

As the night went on, Nora was feeling super excited and happy that Ren had treated her to such a wonderful evening. She could always count on Ren to give her a wonderful time, and there was no one she would rather spend her birthday with than him. Ren knew her the best and because of that Nora could have counted on one hand the number of times they had been apart for any significant amount of time.

The two of them sat up on the Ferris Wheel, having left the boardwalk in order to enjoy Steel Pier and the different rides that came with it. Nora could safely say that this moment was a truly wonderful moment made even better with Ren.

Nora took note of how calm and happy Ren seemed to be, leaning back with his eyes shut and a smile on his face. She knew he was probably tired because of her, but that only meant that he went well out of his way to ensure that she was happy with her birthday. That simple fact gave Nora a sense of joy, one that no matter who else she ended up sleeping with in moments of passion, they never came from anyone except for Ren.

" _It's moments like this that make me slow down and think. I do indulge myself, yet somehow you put up with me. I'll do what I can to calm down but it may take a while. I hope you don't mind Ren."_ Nora thought looking at her resting dorm mate.

Nora wouldn't say that she's slept with a large number of people, it had only been with about three or four other girls, and not once was it out of love. She just got caught up in the moment, something that she knew Ren understood. He wouldn't get mad at her for it, Ren just knew that in the end, Nora would still be around, and Nora was glad that he was that way.

Leaning over from her side of the car, Nora caressed Ren's cheek and leaned in to kiss him, before she sat right next to him and wrapped her arms around him as her lips were pressed against his. Nora knew she had surprised Ren just a little bit, but she could also tell that Ren had decided to just go with it in that moment, and she was more than happy to lead.

As the two of them started to get into the moment, their kiss intensifying and the bodies moving closer together, the car they were in suddenly jerked and sent Nora down onto the floor. Instead of being upset, Nora just laughed at what happened. "Of course this would happen, wouldn't it, Ren?" She said, with a chuckle as she got back up onto the seat next to Ren.

"Yeah, though with you, nothing seems to surprise me anymore," Ren replied, with a small smile on his face. A rare sight for the man, but after the events of their visit it was well earned.

Both Ren and Nora were red in the face, but Nora wasn't making any inclinations that she was embarrassed by that fact, in fact she would've embraced it.

"Yeah, well, who knows where we might have gone if that didn't stop us," Nora said, her voice becoming sultry and quieter than normal.

"Really? Here?" Ren had to ask, his smile turning into a doubtful smirk.

"Well when you put it that way," Nora grumbled, rolling her eyes at the way Ren all but turned her off in that moment of excitement. In all honesty, it was probably best that they stop where they did, Nora knew she didn't want to get into any legal trouble, especially when she herself wanted to become a cop. Getting arrested for public indecency was not on Nora's agenda for the near future.

"Nora," Ren said, letting the smirk drop as he reassumed his more common indifferent expression.

"Yes, Ren?" She replied, looking into his eyes. She was trying to read him through them, it was the only weakness she had found in his poker face.

"Do you want to get into trouble?" Ren asked.

"No, not really," Nora replied, rubbing her hand against Ren's arm. "I'm glad you manage to put up with me, I know that I can be a handful at times."

Ren, for his part, just smiled again and rubbed the top of Nora's head. "Let's just say that I've gotten used to it, and I know the kind of person you really are. I think I can handle your insanity by now."

"Well then, I guess I'll just have to try harder," Nora joked. She took her finger and poked Ren right on the nose soon afterwards. "Boop."

* * *

By that point in time, their car had returned down to the bottom, and the two disembarked. Nora always liked to end her day at Atlantic City at the Ferris Wheel since it was a chance for her to just sit down and relax with the most important person in her life before they went home. With Ren walking right next to her, Nora was ready to go home. Normally, Nora would end up just falling asleep in the car ride back, but tonight, she was feeling restless. There was one thing on her mind right now and the long ride back didn't do much to help her with those feelings she had bubbling inside of her. In the back of her mind, Nora knew one thing.

" _Yep, definitely getting laid tonight,_ " The orange haired woman thought to herself as Ren pulled into the parking garage at Patch University. " _Hope you are ready for a wild ride Renny, tonight, I'm giving something back to you_."

All the while, Ren was oblivious to the feelings burning their way through Nora, and it wasn't until they ended up getting back into the dorm room that night that Nora made her move. Right as the door to the living room shut, Nora grabbed Ren, jumped into his arms and started to furiously kiss him.

Ren was surprised by the sudden show of passion, and as a result he nearly tripped over the edge of the couch. "N-Nora?" Ren asked once he had a chance to breathe.

"Hope you don't mind, Ren," Nora whispered, the sultriness in her voice making a reappearance. "But tonight, you are mine."

By that point, Nora had dropped down and landed on the floor in front of Ren, before grabbing his arm and pulling him over to Ren's dorm room. She opened it up quickly and dragged Ren in by the collar, before shutting the door. Only to open it up again to toss out a very confused Jaune Arc and forcing him onto the couch. Jaune couldn't help but wonder if he would get any sleep tonight. If the look in Nora's eyes was anything to go by he already had his answer. As Jaune laid there on the couch in the common room he found that the walls were not as thick as they could have been.

"Nope. Definitely not getting any sleep tonight." The unlucky blonde grumbled, before wrapping a nearby pillow around his head in order to at least muffle the sounds coming from his room.

* * *

 **AN: Noble: We are going to keep this AN short today, and so I'll be the only one here today. Everyone else is off with their families and enjoying the holiday, celebrating the beginning of a new year. I wanted to say from everyone of us here, thank you for helping to bring this story up to where it is thus far. We don't plan on stopping anytime soon, and I hope that you enjoy everything that we have coming in the future.**

 **From the Fellowship of the Meta, we wish you all a Happy New Year.**


	7. A Little Bit of Bonding

Ruby was tired of having to deal with her roommate. Weiss always seemed to have something that was bothering her, and that lead to Ruby bearing the brunt of Weiss' frustrations and tirades. She was tired of dealing with it, and despite how much she wanted to be friends with her, Ruby didn't know if it was actually possible to really connect with the girl who was her roommate. If there really was a way to do it, Ruby was completely oblivious to it.

' _It's like she doesn't want to try and connect,_ ' Ruby thought as she laid there on the couch that they had out in the common room. Weiss said she wanted the room to herself while she studied, but Ruby didn't remember exactly what it was that she said she was studying for. Ruby didn't even know how someone could spend so much time studying, though she herself was learning how to have better study habits thanks to Pyrrha.

Speaking of Pyrrha, Ruby noticed that the redhead was over in the kitchen making herself some dinner. Pyrrha was humming to herself as she was using the stove to cook up something. Ruby had to figure that it was something healthy, after all she knew that Pyrrha needed to keep healthy for her athletics. It was certainly making the younger girl hungry having to smell Pyrrha making her dinner.

Between the food and Ruby's growing frustrations, she wasn't surprised when she let out a tremendous sigh. She also wasn't surprised when Pyrrha turned her head towards Ruby and started a conversation with her. "Something bothering you Ruby?"

"That obvious?" Ruby had to ask. She stood up from the couch and walked over to where Pyrrha was at the kitchen, leaning against the counter and watching Pyrrha cook herself some food.

"Hehe, yeah you could say something like that," Pyrrha responded. "So, what's on your mind?"

Ruby sighed once again and jumped up onto the counter so she could sit down next to Pyrrha as she was cooking. "Between having to deal with Weiss, and smelling whatever it is that you're cooking, I don't know whether I should run around like an idiot or feel like I'm fuming."

Pyrrha couldn't help but chuckle a bit at Ruby's predicament. "Well, in regards to me making dinner, I'd be more than happy to make you some of what I'm having," She responded. "As for your problems with Weiss, I'm gonna need some more to go off of before I can give you some advice."

Ruby sighed as she tried to put her thoughts into words. "Ok, well I guess it all started once we got into school," Ruby began to explain. "Weiss probably wasn't impressed by me on the first day, though it didn't help that I apparently got high as a kite."

"You were taking quite a trip, Ruby," Pyrrha giggled. "Even you have to admit that one."

"Yeah, while true, I don't think it helped my case any," Ruby continued on. "I've been trying to show Weiss that I'm more than that first impression, yet she doesn't give me a chance. I keep trying, but she's always studying and never has any time to just relax and goof off. It's really annoying because she practically kicks me out of the room on a near daily basis."

Ruby didn't realize it, but Pyrrha had finished with making her own dinner, but instead handed it off to Ruby. Subconsciously, Ruby took the plate that was handed to her and started to engorge herself on the chicken & cheese quesadillas that were on the plate. As Pyrrha was going on to make her own, Ruby continued.

"She doesn't seem to just understand anything fun, she never listens to me when I try and talk to her, and I'm sick of having to deal with her," Ruby complained.

"Do you mind if I say something?" Pyrrha asked.

"Sure, go ahead."

"Don't you think that maybe you aren't seeing things from her perspective?"

"Pfft, nah, I don't think that's the problem," Ruby dismissed.

Feeling a bit frustrated that Ruby shot her opinion down so quickly, Pyrrha stopped what she was doing and looked straight at Ruby with a less than enthusiastic expression on her face.

"Ruby?"

"Yes, Pyrrha?"

"Do you actually want my help, or are you just going to blow off what I say as pointless?"

Ruby didn't know what it was that she had said to upset Pyrrha, but she figured it was better to stop it from getting worse before she had two roommates mad at her. "Did I do something wrong?"

"Well, if you're just going to shoot down my ideas or suggestions, then why did you ask for my opinion in the first place?" Pyrrha said as she went back to making her dinner. "And I even made you dinner as well."

"Sorry," Ruby mumbled, letting her head hang down.

"It's alright, but can I continue on with what I was going to say?" Pyrrha replied.

"Sure," Ruby said as she continued to eat the food that Pyrrha gave to her.

"Ok, look," Pyrrha began. "You and Weiss are two very different people, with two very different backgrounds. I'm sure you didn't push yourself as hard as you could in certain subjects, but you do know exactly what you're studying while you're here. Weiss on the other hand comes from a completely different background. First thing is that her family has a bit of attention from the media because of how well known the Schnee family is, and the second thing is that because of her upbringing, Weiss probably has really high expectations placed upon her that she has to meet."

"What makes you say that?"

"Well, her family is well known because of their business, and their financial standing," Pyrrha went on to explain. "That means that Weiss has an image to upkeep as being a high class, highly intelligent person of interest. With that being said, maybe she just never had the chance to learn about all of the different things in life that someone like you or I would know about."

"But that doesn't explain why she doesn't even give me a chance to show her the kind of person that I am," Ruby responded.

"Alright then, let me ask you this," Pyrrha continued. "Whenever you tried to get her to understand you, what was she doing at the time?"

"Most of the time she was just studying for stuff," Ruby said. "There was the time that Jaune walked in on her while she was in the bathroom, but other than that I don't see why she would've gotten mad.

"And there's the problem," Pyrrha declared. "If I were Weiss and saw that someone was trying to interrupt the one thing that was probably the most important part of my day, then I'd be a little upset at that myself if you ask me. To be honest, you just have really bad timing, and maybe if you tried to work things out differently where you could try to get to know her when she really isn't busy, or if you do something that would benefit her, then she would be more than likely to share."

"Ah, so what you're saying I should do is not give up, but just go about doing this in a different way," Ruby said, finally understanding where it was that Pyrrha was coming from.

"Exactly," Pyrrha replied as she finally finished up her own dinner. She failed to notice however, that Ruby had seen something in the trashcan next to the kitchen, and that she was reaching inside of it.

"Hey, Pyrrha?"

"What's up?" Pyrrha responded, turning towards Ruby just in time to see her holding a long cylindrical piece of latex between her fingers that looked like it had some whitish fluids inside of it. In an instant, Pyrrha's face turned red and she knew just what it was that Ruby was holding.

"Don't touch that!," Pyrrha blurted as she batted the object out of her hand. "You do not want to know what that is." Once she was done she felt like she could finally catch a break and eat her food, only to notice that the object she had slapped out of Ruby's hands, landed straight on top of her meal.

"I'm gonna have to kill Nora now," She grumbled to herself as she picked up the plate of food, threw it into the trash, and started the entire process all over again.

"I do know what a condom is Pyrrha," Ruby said, pointing to the trashcan. "I was just wondering what it's doing out in the open. I may still technically be a kid, but I'm not stupid," before muttering, "Contrary to Weiss' belief."

"Yeah, well now it ended up on my dinner and I have to start all over again," Pyrrha said, before she herself muttered, "Fuckin' ruined my dinner."

"Sorry," Ruby said sheepishly.

"It's fine," Pyrrha replied, sighing as she started to gather supplies again.

Ruby watched in silence as Pyrrha remade her meal and then sat down at the table across from her.

"Anyway, do you have any advice for me about Weiss?" Ruby asked.

Pyrrha pursed her lips for a moment as she thought. "Have you perhaps considered helping her with something that she's having trouble with? That might get her to be a little more… considerate."

"Are you sure?" Ruby asked.

"Absolutely," Pyrrha stated, nodding. "Weiss respects people with ability. If you show her that you know what you're doing, then I'm sure she'll at the very least respect you, if nothing else."

* * *

"Stupid, goddamn, piece of shit!" Weiss exclaimed as Ruby walked back into the room.

The red-and-black haired girl walked over. "What's up, Weiss?" She asked.

"Stupid computer keeps freezing!" Weiss muttered.

"May I?" Ruby asked.

"And just how could you help?" Weiss demanded.

Ruby flashed a salute. "Computer engineering and computer science dual major, reporting for duty!"

Weiss rolled her eyes and moved her chair out of Ruby's way. "Fine. Just make it fast."

Ruby tapped a few keys on the keyboard and a new window appeared on the screen. Ruby clicked one of the tabs, and a series of bright-green line graphs appeared in the window. She got a slightly quizzical look in her eyes as she clicked over to another tab, this one with a nearly incomprehensible list.

"Hmm…" Ruby hummed. "Not sure why your computer is acting this slow. Hang on a sec."

Ruby opened the start menu, and clicked the shutdown button.

"What are you doing?" Weiss asked suspiciously.

"Most computer problems can be fixed by simply turning your computer off and on again," Ruby stated as the laptop's screen went black. "Seriously, I once saw a computer where the person literally couldn't run anything on it, so I just turned it off and then back on, and everything started to work again. It's actually the first thing that you're asked to do on almost any tech support call because of how many problems it can fix."

"Fine," Weiss stated, rolling her eyes.

After several long minutes, the computer started back up again, displaying the desktop.

"Great, now let me see it," Weiss said.

"Hang on, give it a second to start," Ruby said. "It usually takes a moment for the computer to finish starting everything up, even when it gets to the desktop screen."

After several minutes, Weiss was again using her computer. "Still not running that great," Weiss complained.

"May I?" Ruby questioned, and Weiss handed the laptop to the girl again.

Ruby pressed several keys and studied the screen. She then started to type quickly, followed by her clicking the buttons at the bottom of the touchpad several times. "Yeah, that's not good." She said finally.

"What is it?" Weiss asked.

"You've got a rootkit," Ruby replied. "See this registry entry here? It corresponds to a program that accesses a server somewhere and downloads other malicious programs to your computer."

"Okay? Can you fix it?" Weiss asked.

Ruby shook her head. "Not really. Unless you're willing to be without a laptop for several days, and even then there's no guarantee I could completely clean it. Your best bet is to either take a magnet to your harddrive, or to just get an entirely new computer."

"Why?"

"Rootkits are able to basically hide from even some of the best scanning tools out there, because they essentially have the highest level of access to critical system functions. Very difficult, and sometimes even impossible to remove. Not sure how you got one, but, well, from the look of it, your best bet is to just get a new computer."

"What makes you say that?" Weiss asked.

"Well," Ruby continued, "I actually recognize this specific pattern of attack. This is a firmware rootkit, so even completely wiping your hard drive probably won't fix it."

"Okay, and? What does that mean?"

"Firmware is software that lets you control and manipulate parts of a computer, along with some other electronics," Ruby said. "Not much I can do to fix this without some really specialized equipment. My mom might have access to that type of stuff, but I'm not sure she'd loan it to me just to fix a computer. Besides, this is a great opportunity for you!" Ruby finished, grinning. "I'd be more than happy to help you build a computer."

"And what will I do for a computer in the meantime?" Weiss demanded.

"Well," Ruby replied as she pulled a laptop out of her backpack. "You can use mine! I'd be more than happy to let you use it for now. Don't worry, it's probably even cleaner than a brand new computer," she finished with a smile.

Weiss pursed her lips. "I… I suppose. Thank you Ruby." Both girls stood there for a moment. "If I may ask, how do you know so much about computers already? I know that you're a dual major in computer science and computer engineering, but I'm not sure you can pick up this kind of advanced hardware that easily."

"Well, you see the computer I have?" Ruby asked, pointing to her desktop before leaning in close to Weiss and whispering, "ten-thousand dollars."

"What?" Weiss practically shouted. "How did you spend that much on a computer."

"Well, it actually cost about five-thousand dollars," Ruby said sheepishly. "You could say that my family has connections."

"Still, that much for a computer? How did you manage that?"

"Everything in there is top-of-the line," Ruby replied. "Best processor out there, four graphics cards, and more RAM than I'll ever need," she finished, as a grin spread across her face, before blushing and developing a sudden interest in the floor. "Sorry, I'm kind of a geek when it comes to computers."

"Well, regardless, thank you for your help, today, Ruby," Weiss said. "I do appreciate it.

"No problem, Weiss," Ruby replied, giving Weiss a smile. "Always happy to help."

* * *

 **AN: Noble: Well, that turned out to be a thing.**

 **Peace: Everything is a thing, Noble.**

 **Noble: True. Anyway, onto some good news, we have someone new in our group, a full time editor! Everyone say hello to MartunaMajor!**

 **Peace: We caught him last night!**

 **Ghost: It was quite a hunt to find him.**

 **Phoenix: You guys owe Summer so much for those cops she had to pay off. *Pulls the sack off MartunaMajor's head***

 **MartunaMajor: Hello Everyone! Where am I?**

 ***Shadow, lymle and Sylver in background*: One of us, one of us, one of us...**

 **Ghost: Trust me when I say that it's better if you don't ask.**

 **Peace: See?! I told ya that "trip" would be worth it!**

 **Noble: I TOLD YOU GUYS TO NOT KIDNAP HIM! WE'RE MORE PROFESSIONAL THAN THAT!**

 **Peace: When have we ever listened before?**

 **Phoenix: We gave him an option to come willingly but he refused.**

 **Angel: There is no escape now. Welcome.**

 **Ghost: Hey guys, I found the key to get out-**

 **Peace: *whispers* Careful, Noble might hear us…**

 **Noble: I think I heard something. It'd be a shame if you guys did something to invoke my wrath.**

 **Angel: What is "out"?**

 **Ghost: Oh, don't you worry, angel. It doesn't concern you.**

 **Peace: Ghost, Operation: Wildfire is a go, tonight. Tell the Commander.**

 **Ghost: Sounds good to me.**

 **Phoenix: There will be no survivors. *Sharpens knives***

 **Noble: Ok, now that we got that taken care of, you guys are awesome for-**

 ***Rose stumbles up to the group***

 **Noble: HOLY SHIT WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?!**

 **Peace: Who the fuck is this?**

 **Rose: Who the fuck is- WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU MEAN?!**

 **Noble: Peace, this is TheDarkenedRose. He was unconscious when you arrived.**

 **Peace: Oh, that guy? I was wondering what happened there.**

 **Phoenix: Was worried you got eaten by a Beowolf.**

 **Noble: By the way, Rose, I'm really glad that you caught up to us, you have a chapter to write out by next week.**

 **Rose: *gives a serious look* I. HATE. ALL. OF. YOU.**


	8. Horn of the Valkyries

**GhostPhoenix113: Hey folks! Sorry for cutting in before the chapter here, but I wanted to address one of the reviews we received to Room 205 personally. To the guest reviewer calling themself an "actual computer science student," I am a junior in computer science currently. Ruby's little talk with Weiss was a deliberate choice on my part as, first of all, not everyone on the site is as dedicated to computers, so I needed to say everything in a way that everyone would understand, and second, Ruby is just beginning her first year as a computer science/computer engineering student. She will not have quite as deep an understanding as someone who is in their final years of schooling.**

 **Anyway, with that out of the way, back to your regularly scheduled madness!**

* * *

 **Ren**

To say that Ren was used to Nora's usual antics was an understatement. Even when things were going right and everything seemed to be normal, Ren always had that feeling that something was about to go wrong, all thanks to that little ball of energy known as Nora. Years of experience have told him enough to know that by now. He knew that there was no way that the craziness she caused was able to be contained or dulled down, there was just no possible way that could happen.

Still, there were moments when Ren was surprised by some things that Nora managed to do in her time. Part of it could be just the timing of some events, others were because of how outrageous and over the top she went. Most of the time though, Ren managed to keep it together and remain calm when Nora was up to something she really shouldn't be.

Unfortunately for Ren, in his studies, he didn't notice the beginning signs of another one of Nora's antics until it was too late. He didn't hear when the front door to the dorm opened up and shut almost immediately, he didn't notice the giggling that Nora was letting out as she practically ran into her own room, and he failed to notice that it seemed a little too quiet at that moment in time, the most important sign that Nora was up to something.

Ren was studying about ancient cultures for his anthropology courses when he heard a heavy bass sound coming from the room next to his. The suddenness of the noise, combined with the actual noise itself was enough to nearly send Ren out of his chair in surprise.

Ren walked out of his room and over to Nora's, the origin of the noise. He didn't even bother knocking since he knew that Nora would leave the door unlocked for him to go in whenever she was around. Once he opened the door, he saw just what it was that Nora was doing, or rather, what it was that she had apparently acquired.

Resting in her hands was a long tube that had a nice ornate design to it, though Ren was able to tell what it was in an instant. "Nora," Ren sighed.

"Ren check out this really cool thingy that I found in the lounge!" Nora proclaimed before taking the object and blowing into one end of the tube, producing a low bass noise that came out the other end. "Isn't it cool?!"

Ren just sighed. Despite being told how she found it, Ren wasn't entirely sure that was the whole story behind it. "Nora, why did you decide to take a random Didgeridoo that you found in the buildings lounge?"

"A Didgeridoo? That's what this thing is called?" Nora asked, completely avoiding the question that Ren had placed in front of her. "Well with how awesome it is, of course it would have a really cool name to it!"

Shaking his head, Ren walked over and tried to calm Nora down, though he knew it would take more than just him being nice before she was brought away from the thing.

Unfortunately, he heard a very forceful knock at the front door. Before Ren could go and respond to it, Jaune had already made his way over. "Don't worry, I'll get it," Jaune shouted to the rest of his roommates. "Since no one else ever seems to be around to do so." That last part was grumbled down low so no one else could hear him.

* * *

 **Jaune**

Once he opened the door, Jaune noticed the rabbit ears on top of the girls head. Unfazed by it in any way, he looked her in the eye before speaking to her. "Hi, is there anything I can help you with?"

"There is someone in this suite who has something of mine that was stolen from the lounge earlier today," the girl said.

"Really?" Jaune asked, oblivious to what was going on around him. Letting the girl walk into the room with him, he wanted to ask about what she was referring to. "Well, why don't you tell me everything that happened?"

"Well, I was in the lounge earlier today with my roommate, and we had to go back to our room to pick something up, and I happened to leave something there," The girl explained. "When I got back it was gone and while I was walking past here, I heard someone use it. I don't think you would understand what it is but it's this thing called a Didgeridoo, an Australian horn, and it means quite a bit to me."

Hearing a commotion coming from Nora's room, Jaune could only imagine what was going on in there. "Sorry about them, who knows what's going on in there," Jaune said. "I'm Jaune by the way. Mind giving me your name?"

"Velvet," The girl replied.

"Alright, well Velvet, I promise that I'll help you search for your...er Didgeridoo? Did I say that right?" Jaune asked, hoping to have not just insulted the girls object.

"You got it right," Velvet said, impressed by his quick remembrance.

Almost immediately afterwards though, Ren and Nora came out of the room, with said Didgeridoo in hand. "No, we are going to find whoever owns this and return it to them," Ren said. "No exceptions on this, Nora."

"Wait!" Velvet proclaimed once she saw Ren holding the Didgeridoo carefully in his hands.

Ren stopped and turned towards Velvet, just noticing her for the first time. It didn't take much for Ren to make the connection that this belonged to her. Sighing, he walked up to her and held out his arms, Didgeridoo in hand.

"I take it this belongs to you?" Ren asked.

"It does," Velvet said, gently reclaiming the instrument. "Why would you take it?"

"That is something you would need to ask Nora here, seeing as how she was the one who took it without asking," Ren said, giving Nora a look that silently said he was disappointed in her.

"I'm really sorry for this. I just saw it and thought it was really cool and now I want one for myself and thought that maybe I could get one and then return this one to you once I had one for myself," Nora rambled out after approaching Velvet. "Please, I didn't mean to make you upset or nervous over losing it."

"You're interested in getting one for yourself?" Velvet asked, confused as to why the girl would be interested in that sort of thing.

"Yeah, Renny here studies other cultures and shit like that," Nora began to explain. "And there are some things from those cultures that I really think are cool. So I thought that maybe this would be one of those things, and so I thought that I could end up getting one for myself."

After a few moments of consideration, Velvet gave Nora a smile. "Well then, how about this," She said, drawing in Nora's complete attention. "Why don't you hold onto mine for a day or two, and I'll help you order one for yourself. Once yours gets here, then you take the one belonging to you, and I'll take mine back."

"Oh my god that sounds perfect!" Nora shouted. "I promise that I'll take extra special care of yours while it's with me, I'll even have Ren keep an eye on it as well since he's good with taking care of valuable items!"

"I trust you will," Velvet said. "Anyway, I should get back to my room. Why don't you stop by tomorrow so that we can get yours for you?"

"Will do!" Nora said, walking back into her room with Ren, who was silently telling Velvet that he would keep a really close eye on the Didgeridoo, following suit.

"Well, I'm glad that got settled," Jaune said.

"Yeah, I'm glad for that as well," Velvet replied. Suddenly she had a thought cross her mind. "Aren't you in a relationship with Weiss Schnee by the way?"

"Nope. Wait, what makes you say that?" Jaune asked, completely thrown off by the change in topic.

"Well, I saw you carrying her stuff to class for a bit a while back," Velvet mentioned. "I'm working on a group project with Weiss and when I brought it up with her, she seemed to just deflect the question. I guess I was wrong and you two aren't together?"

"No, I just owed her a favor and she had me repay it by having me be a servant for a week," Jaune replied. "Long story, don't want to get into it. Better if you don't know by the way."

"Oh," Velvet said as she walked to the front door. "Anyway, I should get back to my dorm room. Hopefully we see each other soon." That last part was said a bit shyly than anything else Velvet said.

"Yeah, it was nice to meet you Velvet," Jaune said as he watched Velvet walk away. ' _I think Weiss might actually have a crush on me and is just afraid to admit it. Time to pull out the ol' Arc charm._ ' Jaune thought to himself as he went back to work.

* * *

 **Pyrrha**

After a long day of work and practice, Pyrrha was glad that she was able to enjoy some sleep. It was one of the few things she cherished. More than her health, more than her fortune in life, even more than her family.

Of course, her sleep that evening would end up being disturbed by one Nora Valkyrie, who had decided it was a brilliant idea to play the Didgeridoo that she had borrowed from Velvet at about 2:30 in the morning, much to Pyrrha's absolute ire.

One thing that Pyrrha had picked up on when she was younger, whenever someone disturbed her sleep, they made her extremely mad. This was one of the few times that Pyrrha actually remembers being mad at anyone for any particular reason, and the redhead was rarely one to get mad at anyone.

Normally she would understand if it was for something important, such as someone was in need of major help or Pyrrha needed to get up for something important. But those reasons were few and far between that Pyrrha didn't hear them too often.

So when Pyrrha was awoken to Nora playing a Didgeridoo in the middle of the night, needless to say Pyrrha was ready to murder the poor girl. "Nora, what the absolute fuck are you doing right now?!" Pyrrha shouted.

"I wanted to play with the Didgeridoo," Nora said, unaware that she was now inches from death by her roommates hands. "It's just soo cool and I couldn't sleep without playing the thing."

If it wasn't for Yang running into the room and literally dragging the girl out as she was kicking and screaming in Nora's direction, and Ren going in so that he could speak with Nora about what she had done, Pyrrha would have likely murdered Nora. Fortunately, Yang and Ren were awoken by Nora playing as well and heard Pyrrha shouting before running over.

"I'm gonna kill her," Pyrrha said, her anger in full form at that moment in time.

Yang was lucky that she was able to hold Pyrrha back, else she didn't know what the girl would do. "Pyrrha, calm down, she woke me and Ren up as well," Yang said once she forced Pyrrha onto the couch. "I get that you probably got woken up the worst out of us, but don't go killing your roommate, or even hurting her, ok?"

Taking a few moments to slow down her heart beat and calm the blood pulsing through her body, Pyrrha was able to push back her anger. "Ok, I'm better," Pyrrha said. "Still mad at Nora for waking me up in the middle of the night, but I won't murder her."

"So," Yang said hesitantly so that she didn't upset Pyrrha any further. "Any reason why you went all ape shit on Nora a moment ago?"

Pyrrha took a deep breath before explaining. "Well, one of the things that gets me furious more than anything is when someone wakes me up while I'm sleeping for any reason other than something absolutely important."

"Ah, so you're just mad that Nora woke you up," Yang summarized.

"Yep."

"Then just tell her that and I'm sure she'll understand," Yang suggested. "Even if Nora may be the most insane out of all of us, she at least knows basic human decency."

"Fine," Pyrrha said. "I'm going back to bed."

As Pyrrha stood up and walked back to her room, she opened up the door to see Nora looking sadly down at the ground with Ren standing over her looking like he was giving her a lecture. "Nora," Pyrrha said, interrupting Ren from what he was saying.

"Yes?" Nora replied when Pyrrha spoke to her.

"I get that you're excited about that thing, but could you please not use it while I'm trying to sleep?" Pyrrha asked. "I really, really, really don't like it when anyone wakes me up in the middle of the night unless it's for something important, hence why I got so mad at you. I'm sorry for yelling and, to be honest, coming close to murdering you."

Giving Pyrrha an understanding smile, Nora cheered up a bit. "Sorry for waking you up I guess."

"It's alright, just, try not to do it again, and if you do then it's best to start apologizing profusely," Pyrrha said. "Or leaving the room so that I don't bludgeon you with the nearest blunt object."

"Ok," Nora said. "Ren was telling me that I should return the Didgeridoo to Velvet tomorrow so that I don't have to worry about it breaking because I played it when I shouldn't have."

Pyrrha then climbed into bed and noticed that Ren had left the room alone. "Sounds good," Pyrrha said before turning onto her side and returning to sleep. "I'm going back to bed now."

"Have a good night, Pyrrha," Nora whispered. "And I'm sorry for waking you."

Deep down, Nora was upset at herself for being inconsiderate of her roommate, but she was glad that she was able to fix things with Pyrrha before they both went back to sleep.

* * *

 **AN: Angel: WHAAAAAAALLLLEEES!**

 **Noble: What?**

 **PhoenixCmdr: For the last time I will kill your audio if you send me that file again!**

 **Ghost: We don't even have audio right now though?**

 **Angel: Shhh! They'll figure it out!**

 **Peace: Not like you're worth a damn at keeping a secret.**

 **PhoenixCmdr: Peace, you aren't safe from my wrath either.**

 **Peace: The hell did I do to you?!**

 **Noble: You know, this would probably be a good time to mention that thing we are planning out.**

 **Ghost: Oh, you mean the-**

 **Noble: LET ME EXPLAIN IT FOR FUCK SAKE!**

 **Peace: But you didn't call dibs.**

 **Angel/Noble (At the same time): Dibs!**

 **Sylver: Who has the talking stick?**

 **Peace: I think Rose lost it last week.**

 **Sylver: Where did it go? Did his dog steal it?**

 **Angel: Knowing how much a chihuahua bites, probably.**

 **Noble: I outrank you, get in the back, Angel!**

 **Peace: Technically Commander has the power.**

 **PhoenixCmdr: Damn right I do!**

 **Ghost: Dibs on Noble's dibs! (*Angel looks offended*)**

 **Noble: Look, for those of you who are interested in more of our stupidity, we are planning on doing a podcast where you can hear us actually talk to each other about the normal things that we usually do during any given day.**

 **Sylver: We've been constantly chatting on Skype every day for almost two months.**

 **Peace: The sad part is, it's exactly like the ANs.**

 **Ghost: You are not wrong, good sir.**

 **PhoenixCmdr: And for any of you fantasy geeks out there the podcast will also have liberal amounts of D &D episodes as well. With me as their "benevolent" overlord.**

 **Ghost: Should I be worried?**

 **Noble: If you fucks try to blame me for everything, I'm gonna get absolutely pissed off at you guys.**

 **Peace: I'm the asshole that tries to hook everyone up!**

 **Ghost: So, yeah, I should probably be worried.**

 **Peace: Considering the backstories, yeah…**

 **PhoenixCmdr: *evil laughter***

 **Shadow: And I'm the dwarf!**

 **Noble: So, wrapping this up now. If you want to hear all of the insanity that we go through as a group, you can catch us on our podcast which we are entitling, "Legion 205". we also have a twitter account so you can keep up with us on there. Just follow "Legion_205" to keep up with that. Once our first episode airs, we will be sure to mention it to you guys, so we hope you guys tune in to it once it airs.**

 **Peace: We'll all shout it at the same time, so I'm sure you'll notice once we start. Until then, Enjoy!**

 **(tumbleweed)**


	9. For Humanity's Sake

Even though classes seemed to drag on forever, Ruby couldn't help but feel a wave of excitement coursing through her. Today was her birthday, she was finally 18 years old and she was incredibly excited about that.

' _Yang said she had a really cool surprise for me once we got back to the dorm today,_ ' She thought to herself as she sat through her classes. Even Oobleck's history course could do nothing to slow down her energy, even though she had been doing better in the class with Pyrrha's help.

With nothing left in the day, Ruby was counting the seconds until she was free to go about her day in peace. Fortunately, she was able to leave soon afterwards, and she all but ran out of the room, the only thing holding her back was the common courtesy she showed in waiting for Pyrrha to gather her belongings as well.

"You seem excited today, Ruby," Pyrrha said as they walked out of the room. "Something special about today?"

"Yeah!" Ruby exclaimed. "Today's my birthday!"

Pleasantly surprised by the news, Pyrrha beamed with joy. "Oh well happy birthday to you, Ruby," She said to the younger girl. "You have any idea how you're going to spend the day?"

"Yang says she has a surprise for me once everyone is back at the dorm tonight," Ruby replied. "Apparently she even made sure that everyone was available tonight for whatever is going on."

"I do remember her asking me about that, yes," Pyrrha mentioned as the two of them walked back to the dorms. "I'm just fortunate that I don't have practice today, and that my last class was canceled for the day as well."

"Awesome!" Ruby jumped up into the air with excitement as the two walked back to the dorm together.

By the time they reached the dorm, almost everyone was there. Only Weiss, Blake and Jaune were missing, their classes extending later than everyone else's on that particular day. Once everyone else showed up, Yang gathered everyone in the living room.

"Alright, I'm guessing you guys are all wondering why I gathered you here today," Yang began to explain.

"That would be an accurate assumption," Weiss groaned.

"Well, today, we're all going to be doing a bit of hanging out and playing a game because it's Ruby's birthday today!" Yang said next.

Even though Pyrrha had already heard it before, she once again wished Ruby a happy birthday, as did everyone else. After the chorus of birthday wishes ended, Yang continued.

"So, because you're now old enough, the game we are going to play today is an extremely fun game that is sure to bring out the little devil in us all." Yang walked over to her room to grab what she was talking about, and she came back with a long rectangular box.

Knowing what it was instantly, Pyrrha rested her head in her hands and sat down on the couch with her arms propped up on her knees. "Oh dear god, this is going to be...dreadful in more than one way," She sighed, shaking her head a little bit in her hands.

"No, this is going to be a whole bunch of fun!" Yang shouted. "Ruby, I never let you play this before now, but since you're old enough to do so, you get to experience your very first game of Cards Against Humanity!"

"Ooh, sounds fun," Ruby cooed.

"I have a bad feeling that this is going to be an unpleasant experience," Weiss said.

"It could be worse," Blake retorted. "You could be stuck playing monopoly."

"Don't you put that evil on us Blake," Pyrrha pleaded, looking up at Blake. "That is hell incarnate shaped into a board game."

"Anyway," Yang interrupted. "Let's get started."

Everyone took a seat around the table that was in the living room in various chairs or couches. Ruby hopped over the back of the couch, swinging her legs around and landing softly to Pyrrha's right, while Weiss purposefully strode to Pyrrha's left, taking the last seat on the couch. Jaune had to run into his room and grab another chair, setting it up next to Ruby, since Blake and Yang took two of the chairs provided by the school settling down next to Weiss, and Ren and Nora took the loveseat opposite Ruby, Pyrrha and Weiss.

"So, how do we play this game?" Weiss asked.

"Welp, first things first, you draw ten white cards," Yang started to explain as she shuffled all the cards with the help of Blake, Pyrrha, Ren and Jaune. "Here's how the game itself works. One person, known as the Card Czar, draws one of these black cards. They read off the card, and you have to turn in a card that you feel either fits it appropriately, or is just too hilarious to pass up. Once you turn in a card, the Czar reads off all the cards and picks which one he or she liked the most."

"Most of the cards may not make sense," Pyrrha cut in. "But in all honesty, it's going to be a bit perverted, so most of the answers are going to revolve around the deepest depths of your inner pervert."

"Oh great," Weiss grumbled. "It's one of those games."

"Come on," Pyrrha said. "It's for Ruby's birthday, surely you can put up with it for her. Who knows you might actually enjoy it by the time we're done."

"Alright fine," Weiss said. "Who goes first then?"

"Who pooped last?" Yang asked once Weiss was done.

"Excuse me?" Weiss asked indignantly.

"That's literally how you determine who goes first," Jaune mentioned, holding up the card that held the games rules on it. "Quote: 'The person who most recently pooped begins as the Card Czar and plays a Black Card.', end quote."

"That's just disgusting," Weiss commented.

"Regardless, it's the way we're doing it," Yang mentioned. "Unless anyone else pooped in the past 20 minutes, I guess I'm starting off as the Czar."

"And where does it go from there Yang?" Ruby asked.

"Welp, it goes clockwise, so it would be me, Nora, Ren, Jaune, you Rubes, Pyrrha, Weiss and then finally Blake, and then it would go back to me," Yang explained. Does that make sense?"

"Yup, let's play!" Ruby shouted as everyone was drawing their white cards.

Once they were done, Yang placed her white cards down in front of her and then reached in to draw a black card.

"Alright ladies, and gents, let's get this game started!" Yang proclaimed. She cleared her throat before changing her tone of voice in order to read the card.

"The class field trip was completely ruined by blank," Yang said. "So, the blank means you have to complete the sentence with whatever cards you feel would fit best with it. Got it Rubes?"

"Yeah, seems like a straightforward idea," Ruby said as she decided to pick out the cards she wanted to play.

"God this is ridiculous," Weiss mentioned.

"What's the matter?" Blake asked.

"There are so many perverted cards, I don't have much to pick from."

"Weiss, it isn't going to be just normal stuff," Yang cut in. "It's called Cards Against Humanity for a reason."

"Fine," Weiss complained as she threw in a card herself. Once everyone had their cards in, Yang shuffled them up and was ready to show what was presented to her.

"The class field trip was completely ruined by," Yang flipped the cards in order and read them aloud. "Hipsters, Blood farts, Not reciprocating oral sex, The Quesadilla Explosion Salad from Chili's, Necrophilia, Mom, and Racial Profiling."

"Man, that'll definitely ruin your trip," Ren commented, not citing which one he meant specifically.

"Yep, who had Necrophilia?" Yang asked. Seeing her sister raise her hand, Yang tossed the black card in her direction. "Do you even know what that is, sis?"

Ruby cringed and felt a bit squeamish. "Yeah, unfortunately. Don't remind me."

"You're the one that played it, Ruby," Yang mentioned. "Alright, you're up Nora."

"The Smithsonian Museum of Natural History has just opened an interactive exhibit on blank," Nora said after drawing her black card.

Eventually everyone played their card, with Jaune squirming a bit as he played his.

"Feeling a bit squeamish there Jaune?" Yang asked.

"You would if you were in my shoes," Jaune rebuked.

"Our cards are," Nora proclaimed. "Pictures of boobs, Pooping back and forth forever, Leveling up, Unrelenting genital punishment." Both Ren and Jaune squirmed at that card. "The Gulags, Natural male enhancement and Deez nuts."

"I think I know which one Jaune's is," Pyrrha mentioned. "And ow."

"Yeah, I gotta go with Unrelenting genital punishment," Nora said, noticing that Jaune held his hand up, while the other one was cupping his lower region. "Oh suck it up Jaune, what's a little ball slapping between friends huh?" At that, Nora reached over and whacked Jaune right on the nuts, causing him to seize up and turn into a ball.

"That was a bit too far, wasn't it?" Weiss mentioned.

"Eh, it was funny," Nora said. "Oh Ren, it's your turn."

Sighing, Ren drew the next black card. "Your mom-"

"No Ren, you gotta say it like it says on the card," Nora interrupted. "And give us a little more energy why don't you?"

"Fine," Ren conceded. "Yo' mama so fat she blank!"

It wasn't long before everyone had their cards in, and Ren went to read them off. "Ok, looks like we have, Doo-doo, Becoming a blueberry, Wearing an octopus for a hat, A fortuitous turnip harvest, Figgy pudding, Khakis, and A fat bald man from the internet."

"Really?" Yang questioned. "Who put down Khakis?"

"It was a throw-away," Pyrrha admitted. "Like you had any better?"

Instead of saying anything, Yang just pulled her arms across her chest and let Ren pick who won.

"I gotta go with the fat bald man from the internet," Ren said, seeing Blake's hand gesture for him to hand over the black card. "Jaune, you're up."

"Ok, our black card is as follows," Jaune said as he drew the card. "Next on ESPN2: the World Series of blank."

Looking at the cards in Weiss' hand, she didn't know which one she felt she was capable of using, without sounding like a total pervert. Eventually she gave up and decided to use something completely different. "I doubt this is going to do anything since it's disgusting."

"That's the point of the game though," Nora chimed in. "It's supposed to be disturbing and bring out the worst in us."

"You gonna play that card though?" Jaune asked Weiss. Once she handed Jaune the card, he had everything ready to read them off, but deliberately looked at Weiss' card first. Upon doing so, he immediately burst out into laughter and nearly fell onto the floor.

"Um, Jaune?" Blake said, wondering what it was that caused Jaune to react the way he did. "What did Weiss play?"

After a second, Jaune sat back up and gathered his breath. "Ok, I'm just gonna say this now, Weiss wins the hand. So, everyone else's cards were, Being rich, Masturbation, Agriculture, Same-sex ice dancing, Queefing and Science."

"Well then what the hell did Weiss play that was so much better than any of ours?" Yang asked. "I figured Masturbation would be the winner there."

"If you would," Jaune said, holding the black card up in his hand. "Next on ESPN2: the World Series of Figuring out how to have sex with a dolphin."

Upon hearing that, everyone else just started to burst into laughter. Weiss was surprised, but she wasn't going to question it. Grabbing the card that Jaune had presented to her, Weiss decided that maybe being a little crude was worthwhile for this little game of theirs.

"My turn!" Ruby shouted as she reached in and picked up her black card. "Um, we have a card that gives two blanks."

"Ok," Yang said as she put her cards down on the table. "So, let me explain how this will work. Instead of handing Ruby your cards, you are going to put them down onto the table in front of you. Ruby is going to read the cards off, and if order matters, the first card that you want read goes on the bottom. Everyone got it?"

"Sounds good," Jaune replied.

"Sweet," Yang said. "Ruby, what does the card say?"

"After months of practice with blank, I think I'm finally ready for blank," Ruby said. After waiting for everyone to place the cards they wanted down in front of them, Ruby looked around to figure out where she was going to begin. "Ok, I guess I'll start with Jaune and go around the table. Jaune, hand in your cards."

After receiving his cards, Ruby went to read off the black card with Jaune's cards in context. "After months of practice with Not wearing pants, I think I'm finally ready for Seeing Grandma naked." Ruby cringed a bit after seeing that. "Lovely image there, Jaune."

Ruby then went around the table as best she could. "Alright, Ren has Women's suffrage and Western standards of beauty. Nora has White Privilege and The token minority. Yang played, An M16 assault rifle and Bio-engineered assault turtles with acid breath. Blake played, Our first chimpanzee president and Stuffing a child's face with Fun Dip until he starts having fun. Blake why would you do such a thing?"

"I don't know, thought it would work," Blake replied.

"Anyway, Weiss played Fingering and The primal ball-slapping sex your parents are having right now. And last but not least, Pyrrha." Ruby however, failed to notice the hateful glare that Yang was sending to Weiss for making Ruby say the things she had just said.

Picking Pyrrha's cards up, she re-read the black card once more. "After months of practice with An all-midget production of Shakespeare's Richard III, I think I'm finally ready for A cat video so cute that your eyes roll back and your spine slides out of your anus."

"Oh my god," Nora said. "That's a little sadistic, don't you think?"

"Went from zero to one hundred real quickly," Yang said.

"Well, I think it wins!" Ruby cried out.

"Wait, what?" Weiss questioned.

"Yeah, it wins!" Ruby elaborated. "It's so ridiculous, yet super hilarious at the same time. Here you go Pyrrha!"

* * *

 **Round 11**

"Ren, you're up!" Nora mentioned.

"Whooo, god damn I love blank," Ren said, not really putting too much emotion into it. It was a short time until Ren received all the white cards. "Our cards are, White-man scalps, When you fart and a little bit comes out, Tentacle porn, German dungeon porn, Indescribable loneliness, Fisting, and Inserting a mason jar into my anus."

"God dammit, I know for a fact that one of those porn cards is Blake's!" Yang shouted.

"What in the world makes you say that?" Weiss replied. She didn't notice the glare that Yang was receiving from Blake.

"Don't you give me that look Blake, you and I both know about this," Yang said. "You had to get a new laptop because of porn, and do you know how awkward it is for me to ask my mom to scrub the hard drive for you on a weekly basis?! It's really freaking awkward!"

"Oh dear god," Blake whispered, her face bright red. "Is that who's been cleaning it for me all along?"

"Yup, kinda awkward, don't you think?" Yang grumbled.

"And on that note, I'm picking Tentacle porn." Ren cut in before the conversation got worse.

"I'll take that," Weiss said.

"So you had German dungeon porn?" Yang asked, only to receive a nod in response from Blake.

"That's it, Blake," Yang decreed. "I'm confiscating your computer for a week. She and I both need a break from your...antics!"

"Why?!"

"Cause I can't keep sending your computer to my mother for cleaning every week!"

"Can't be as bad as when mom cleans your laptop, Yang. You're almost as bad." Ruby mumbled.

"I thought we wouldn't speak of that!" Yang exclaimed.

"Hold on, hold on! I'm still processing that you have been sending my laptop to your mother every week!?" Blake growled threateningly.

"Yup. She is about the only one who can get it scrubbed fast enough." Ruby said with a shrug. "She-" A chime from her phone interrupted her.

"Tell your friends and your sister if I get another laptop to clean this month I will not be pleased." Came a voice from Ruby's phone, loud enough for all to hear.

"Got it mom." Ruby said aloud in reply.

Summer's answer was quick, "Good. Happy birthday Ruby glad you're having fun."

"Thanks mom. Talk to you later." Ruby replied.

"Wait she could hear us!?" Everyone asked at once.

"Yup that's part of the perks of working in the NSA." Ruby replied simply.

"Doesn't that break a few laws?" Jaune asked warily.

"Yeah, but mom isn't exactly good at following them to the letter. It's just better to do as she asked and keep the porn to a minimum for now." The red-clad young woman suggested.

"Ok then, moving on," Pyrrha interjected before things got worse. "Who's turn is it?"

"Mine," Jaune said. He reached in to draw the black card before reading over it. "The new Chevy Tahoe. With the power and space to take blank everywhere you go."

Without even letting Jaune finish, Weiss slammed down a card and gave Jaune the most angry glare that she could possibly imagine.

"Sheesh, what's gotten into you?" Yang asked.

Normally, Weiss would have replied to her. In this case though, Weiss was more focused on giving Jaune the death stare, meaning everything else was blocked out for her.

Jaune tried his best to avoid the stare, but it was really starting to get to him. Once he had everyone's cards, he read them off. "The new Chevy Tahoe. With the power and space to take, Sperm whales, everywhere you go. An M. Night Shyamalan plot twist, Geese, My worthless son, A 55-gallon drum of lube…"

After seeing the next card, he looked right over at Weiss, who was still giving him the death stare. Instantly he knew that it was Weiss' card that he held in his hand.

With a defeated sigh, he read off the last two cards, saving Weiss' winning card for last. "A pyramid of severed heads, and the winning card, Some douche with an acoustic guitar."

"Wait, why does that win?" Nora shouted. "It isn't nearly as good."

Before Jaune could say anything about it, Weiss finally spoke up for the first time that round. "If you even so much as think about bringing that up, I will personally oversee the entire systematic destruction of everything you hold precious in your life. Understand? Now give me the black card already."

With her hand held out, Weiss was given the black card that she had won from a very defeated Jaune.

"Wow, I can only imagine what you did to piss off the Ice Queen over here," Yang said, poking at Jaune.

"I think we should move on before Weiss kills us," Ruby suggested. "Especially me considering I'm her roommate."

"Ruby," Weiss chimed in. "You are fine. But please, let's get on with this game already."

* * *

 **Round 18**

"And, onto the next round!" Yang proclaimed once she handed Blake her newly won black card. "Nora, it's your turn."

Drawing the black card, Nora cleared her throat so she could say what was on it. "Blank, High five bro!"

As everyone looked through their hands, Pyrrha's eyes caught one of her cards. Upon seeing it, she knew that given the context of the card itself, plus how absolutely disturbing it was, she shouldn't play it. But at the same time, part of her was also saying that it was a great card to play, simply because of how incredibly disturbing and raunchy it was.

With a heavy hand, Pyrrha played the card after some tough thought about whether it was worth doing so or not.

Unfortunately, Pyrrha's expression drew some quizzical stares from the rest of the gang. "Um, you alright there, Pyrrha?" Jaune asked first.

"I'm going to hell," Pyrrha said after a moment. Internally she felt like her mind was delving deeper into insanity, but she knew that once the game was done everything would go back to normal. "This game really brings out the worst in us."

"You're telling me," Weiss grumbled in agreement with Pyrrha's statement.

"Alrighty!" Nora shouted once she had everyone's cards. "Vehicular manslaughter. High five bro! Shaft. High five bro! Santa Claus. High five bro! A can of whoop-ass. High five bro! Me time. High five bro! A monkey smoking a cigar. High five bro!"

Nora took one look at the last card in her hand and her eyes went wide. "Oh dear god," Nora said before looking up at Pyrrha. "How could you play something like this?"

"I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me!" Pyrrha pleaded. "I'm a terrible person, I know."

"What the hell did you play?" Blake asked.

"Coat hanger abortions," Nora answered for Pyrrha.

A collective chorus of 'what the hell', 'oh my god', and other phrases were thrown at Pyrrha's direction over her choice in cards. Pyrrha herself felt herself slowly shrinking into a tiny ball so that she could avoid the terrible gazes of her suitemates.

"Dear god that sounds painful," Weiss chimed in.

"You know I'm not going to pick that card, right?" Nora said directly to Pyrrha.

"I know," Pyrrha replied. "Probably better if you didn't."

"In any case," Nora said while she looked through the six remaining cards that were played. "Who had A can of whoop-ass?" Once she saw Yang raise her hand, Nora handed the card over to her. "Ok, let's get off of this round and onto the next."

* * *

 **Round 22**

After winning her second black card, it was now Pyrrha's turn to be the Card Czar. She had to admit that she was surprised at her win, even though Nora practically had the same exact thing as her, just slightly different. ' _Don't know why Ruby chose A big black dick over A bigger blacker dick, but who am I to complain. Yang doesn't seem too happy about that, though I'm sure it's more because Ruby was saying some pretty disturbing stuff than her not winning,_ ' She thought to herself as she drew the card.

"Two card round guys," Pyrrha announced. "Blank may pass, but blank will last forever. Order matters here, so make sure you got it the way you want it to be."

Watching as everyone picked out their cards, Pyrrha couldn't help but be happy with how the day turned out. ' _Sure I had moments where I could clearly plead insanity, but hey at least we're all out here having fun with each other. It's nice to do so,_ ' She thought to herself, waiting for everyone to say that they were done.

Once she noticed that everyone was finished, she started the round. "Alright, Ruby, you're up first. This time though, I think everyone should say their own cards, in context."

"Alright then," Ruby said. "Ronald Reagan may pass, but Stalin will last forever."

"Nice little bit of political humor if you ask me," Ren chimed in before Jaune could list off his cards.

"Moderate-to-severe joint pain may pass, but My first period will last forever," Jaune said. Almost immediately afterwards, all of the girls in the room started yelling at him for his answer. Pyrrha even grabbed a pillow and threw it at his face. "What the hell was that for?"

"That is not a good answer!" Pyrrha yelled. "That is never a good answer in this context! Now shut up and accept your failure before I throw something worse at you."

"Alright alright, Ren, you're up," Jaune grumbled begrudgingly.

"Mufasa's death scene may pass, but Vietnam flashbacks will last forever," Ren said. "Before you say anything, I know, I'm a terrible person for playing that card combination."

"Ok? I wasn't going to say that, Ren," Pyrrha mentioned. "Anyway, Nora, what do you have?"

"Lady Gaga may pass, but Panda sex will last forever," Nora said. Pyrrha didn't even say anything, just looking at Yang to see if she had anything better.

"A disappointing birthday party may pass, but The hiccups will last forever," Yang said. "Sorry, I know it's not good, especially considering this is pretty much Ruby's birthday party."

"Could be worse," Ruby chimed in. "Anyway, Blake's up."

"My boyfriend's stupid penis may pass, but Bullshit will last forever," Blake said.

"Ok, that one's pretty funny, I'll admit that," Pyrrha said. "Weiss, last one is on you."

"Alright then," Weiss said as she looked at her cards. "Dying alone and in pain may pass, but The passage of time will last forever."

Dead silence filled the room after Weiss' card was played. No one knew what to think of the cards, and it wasn't until Pyrrha finally spoke up again did everyone remember that they were in the middle of a card game. "Wow, that got extremely meta."

"Yeah, you're telling me," Yang agreed. "Anyway, who wins?"

Pyrrha had to give it some thought; there were a couple of options to pick from that she felt were good. Eventually she came to her decision. "Mufasa's death scene wins."

As soon as the card was chosen, Ren stood up, his hands thrown up into the air. "Finally!" He shouted after hearing that he had won a round.

"Is that your first win, Ren?" Ruby asked. Seeing Ren sit back down in his chair with victory, Ruby got her answer without Ren needing to say anything at all. "Congrats, so I guess it's Weiss' turn?"

"That it is," Weiss said as she drew the black card. "Don't forget! Beginning this week, Casual Friday will officially become blank Friday. Oh dear god I can only imagine what kind of depraved cards you guys will give me."

It didn't take too long for everyone to hand in their cards. Once they were done, Weiss read them off. "Power Friday, Too much cocaine Friday, Famine Friday, Autocannibalism Friday, Poor life choices Friday," Weiss said before mumbling. "That's certainly what I feel today is turning out to be if today were a Friday." Once she was done mumbling to herself, she continued to read the cards. "Fuck Mountain Friday, and Frolicking Friday."

"Not bad, some good stuff from that," Nora said.

"Honestly, Fuck Mountain sounds the funniest, and it also fits with the context, so that one wins," Weiss declared, noticing Pyrrha holding out her hand while she sat next to her. "Of course you would play that card. It's been nothing but depravity from you for the past few rounds."

"Well sorry that I have good cards in my hand, for once," Pyrrha replied. "Anyway, who's next?"

* * *

 **Round 29**

"And for our final, and winning card," Jaune said as he read off the last card he had. "Get ready for the movie of the summer! One cop plays by the book. The other's only interested in one thing." Before he said the card, Jaune cleared his throat and shouted the answer with his greatest impression of Mr. Torque from the Borderlands series. "Explosions?!"

"Woo, I win!" Ruby shouted once Jaune announced the winner. "I'll take that, and I'll take the next black card as well since I'm the Czar."

"Nice one little sis," Yang said. "Now what's the next card?"

"During high school, I never really fit in until I found blank club," Ruby read off.

Immediately after reading it, Yang shot the biggest glare she could at everyone. It was the kind of glare that everyone saw as her silently saying 'If you even think about playing something dirty, I will end you all'. Fortunately, everyone seemed to take the hint, something that Weiss was more than happy about since she wasn't too much of a fan of all the depraved things happening with this game.

After handing their cards to Ruby, she read them off for everyone. "Ok, we got, Catapults, Robert Downey, Jr., Genghis Khan, Being a motherfucking sorcerer."

Yang cut in once she heard that. "RUBY!"

"What? I was reading the card, calm down, Yang," Ruby replied to Yang. "Other than that, we have Nunchuck moves and Cybernetic enhancements. Yeah I think I'm gonna go with the sorcerer."

"I'll take that," Ren said as he held his hand out for Ruby. Yang gave him the worst glare possible for making her sister swear in the way that she did. "Who's next?"

* * *

 **Round 31**

"You know, it's getting pretty late," Blake said at the end of the latest round. "We should call it a night soon."

"How about this, we go until you have your round, Blake," Yang suggested. "Once we're done with your round being the Czar, we can call it a night. This way, everyone of us gets the same number of turns being the Czar."

"Fair enough, I suppose," Jaune said, agreeing with Yang's idea. "Everyone else?"

Hearing a chorus of agreements, the game went on, Weiss drawing a black card. "Blank: good to the last drop," Weiss said once she drew the card. "I would love it if we could just keep this quick, if that's alright by you guys."

"Fine by me," Nora agreed, feeling tired herself. "I got an exam tomorrow and I need some sleep."

"Well good luck with that," Pyrrha chimed in as she handed Weiss her card.

Not much later, everyone handed in their card and Weiss went to read them off.

Or she would have if the first card she was about to read wasn't what it was.

Glaring at Yang, Weiss could just tell who played it instantly. "Really, Yang?"

"What did I do?" Yang asked, a little insulted that Weiss was accusing her of something she didn't even know about.

"Almost giving money to a homeless person," Weiss said, finally reading the card with a disdainful tone. "I know you put this one in."

Instead of responding, Yang just shut her mouth and crossed her arms over her chest.

"I rest my case," Weiss said. "Oh dear god, is this how it's going to be?"

"What now?" Yang asked.

"Brown people," Weiss grumbled. "Are you kidding me?"

"Wow, this is incredibly bad," Ruby admitted. "Anyway, what do the rest of them say?"

"Seppuku, The moist demanding chasm of his mouth, Unfathomable stupidity, Doing the right stuff to her nipples, and…" Weiss paused upon reading the card. "You know what, fuck it. This card wins. 50,000 volts straight to the nipples."

Hearing that her card won, Pyrrha took the black card from Weiss and added it to her already large pile. "Are you fucking kidding me? Why shouldn't I be surprised that you put something disturbing and depraved down? It's all you've been doing for the last however many rounds."

As all of this was going on, Blake was silently glad that she didn't have to play any more cards. Looking down at the card that she had just picked up, she felt really hot and bothered by the context of the card. ' _Well this is the first time I got this card. Slowly easing down onto a cucumber, who came up with this utterly ridiculous, sensual, card,_ ' She thought to herself. ' _Is it just me or is it hot in here?_ '

"Blake!"

Hearing Yang call to her, Blake finally snapped out of her thoughts. "What?"

"You're up," Yang said.

"Alright," Blake said while she put the thought off to the side. "Blank will never be the same after blank." Silently, everyone looked to their cards, which Blake was happy for since no one would be paying any attention to how red and horny she was feeling. Eventually everyone played their cards and were ready to read them off to Blake. "Alright, read them off."

Weiss was up first. "Depression will never be the same after The violation of our most basic human rights," She said, starting off the round strong.

"Damn Weiss, you just keep going meta on us," Pyrrha said before reading off her own cards. "A bunch of idiots playing a card game instead of interacting like normal humans will never be the same after Dead babies. Before anyone says anything, I didn't know what else to put with that first card, so shut up."

Deciding to give Pyrrha a break, Ruby went before anyone else could say anything. "The cool, refreshing taste of Pepsi will never be the same after Sex with Patrick Stewart!"

"Ruby!" Yang shouted in response to Ruby talking about sex.  
"Calm down, Yang," Ruby said. "You said that I'm old enough to play this, so stop complaining about any time that I end up saying something that I normally wouldn't."

"Fine," Yang grumbled after giving a moment of pause. "Jaune, get on with it."

"Sean Connery will never be the same after Rising from the grave," Jaune said.

"Well, it makes sense," Weiss said. "Somewhat."

"Men will never be the same after Raptor attacks," Ren said next.

"True," Blake said. "But you could say the same for anything."

"The Pope will never be the same after Mutually assured destruction," Nora chimed in with her cards.

"And last but not least," Yang said, more cheerful than before. "A stray pube will never be the same after Hormone injections."

"Weiss wins," Blake said immediately.

"What?" Yang complained.

"Her's was completely accurate," Blake mentioned. "Now, I think it's time to call it a night."

"We gotta see who won first!" Yang declared. "Count up your black cards, whoever has the most wins. I have 4. How about everyone else?"

"2," Nora said.

"Also 2," Ren said soon afterwards.

"I got 4," Jaune said next.

"Same as Jaune," Ruby mentioned.

"I have 7," Pyrrha mentioned.

"5," Weiss said.

"And I have 4," Blake said. "Looks like Pyrrha wins, not that it was much of a surprise towards the end."

"Hey, I started out really badly," Pyrrha mentioned. "It wasn't until I got those last few rounds that I really won the game." Pyrrha stood up and started to walk to her room. "Anyway, I think it's time for bed, I had fun playing with you guys."

"Same here," Yang said.

"I will admit that this was different than what I expected," Weiss mentioned. "But, I did have fun as well. And once again, Happy Birthday Ruby."

After receiving yet another chorus of birthday wishes, Ruby watched everyone return to their rooms, before she herself went to bed. After getting changed into her pajamas, she climbed into bed with one thing on her mind. ' _Best birthday ever._ '

* * *

 **AN: Noble: Not going to be a really long AN, this week, things have been kinda hectic for us, what with classes for school starting up again. As is, this chapter was a pain to write, but I feel like it's worth a read. We are still working on getting everything set for the first episode of the podcast which should be soon, so hopefully that comes in the next few weeks. We hope you guys enjoyed this really long chapter, and we'll see you all again next week.**


	10. Once More Unto the Insanity

"HI, REN!" That was the only warning Ren had as he walked into the common room after a tedious day of classes. That was when Nora jumped on him and knocked him over.

Ren looked up at Nora and asked, "What are you doing Nora?"

"Ohnothing! I'm just having THE. BEST. DAY. EVER! OF. ALL. TIME!" Nora said quickly.

Ren looked around him as Nora sat on his chest babbling uncontrollably. And that's when he spotted the Red Bull cans. "Nora! What the hell is that?" Ren asked quietly.

Somehow, Nora was able to hear what Ren said and responded "Oh, that? Just over 50 ounces of Red Bull! I drank it and it is awesome and I love it and this shit is greeaaaattt! Did you know? I can taste colors! Smell sounds! Hear smells! I can feel the unfeelable!" Nora continued to babble as Ren pushed her off of him and went to his room to Google "how to deal with a Red Bull high" and did not come up with good enough answers. The only thing he found was to let the person tire themselves out. When he got back into the common room, Nora had disappeared.

That's when he heard Weiss yell, "Ren? Could you get your girlfriend out of my room?"

As Ren ran over to to Weiss and Ruby's room, he could hear Nora saying, "I can taste my shoes!"

Weiss responded, "What the hell Nora?"

"I think I grew tastebuds on my feet!" Nora announced proudly.

"Ren!" Weiss said as he arrived at the door to room A. "Please get your girlfriend out of here!"

"Umm...first of all, I don't _think_ we're a couple. Second of all, she does what she wants and I _cannot_ control her." As Ren was talking, Nora skipped out of the room and into Blake and Yang's room.

Ren could hear Nora say, "So guess what! I can taste the color green!"

Ren ran over to Blake and Yang's room. Blake was making a strange face, as if she was almost scared. Yang just laughed and asked, "What are you _on_ , Nora? Can I have some?"

"Well, it's Red Bull and I'm afraid I drank all six cans, so you can't have any!" Nora shouted quickly.

"Holy shit, Nora! You know that's terrible for your health, right?" Yang asked, incredulously, but Nora didn't hear, because she had already run out of room 205.

"Oh, crap…I just can't get a break!" Ren said as he ran after Nora.

* * *

"Heeeeeeelllllooooooo!" Nora said, running into a classroom, then running out the other door. A winded Ren followed after her, apologizing profusely for Nora's behavior.

Jaune looked up, halfway through an exam and thought, ' _What the hell was that?'_

* * *

Pyrrha looked up as she heard a familiar voice in the stadium. She was in the middle of soccer practice when she saw a red-head running around the track at full speed, screaming nonsense. ' _What the hell?'_ Pyrrha thought to herself.

"Hey, Nikos!" Reese yelled over to Pyrrha.

"What's up?" Pyrrha responded as she ran over to the girl. They were taking a water break and were able to chat.

"Isn't that your roommate?" Reese asked.

"Ummm…" Pyrrha had to look very closely before she figured out enough details that would help her identify the person running around the track. "Yeah, I think so…" Pyrrha responded. "Oh dear god what happened?"

"I don't know. Are we gonna have to deal with that later tonight?" The turquoise-haired girl asked. "Honestly, as much as I love how enthusiastic and entertaining your roommate is, that girl's crazy."

"I sincerely hope not…" Pyrrha said sounding tired. "And yes, she really is crazy…" Pyrrha watched as Nora ran off from the track andout of the stadium in what looked like the direction of the dorms. "In her own strange and sadistic way."

* * *

"What did you think about question number 3, the one about the Punnett squares?" Ruby asked. Ruby was walking with her cousin Penny Polendina, one of the nicest girls she ever knew. When Ruby found out that the two of them were going to be attending the same school together, she was ecstatic. It was even better knowing that they had a class together, which the two girls were walking back to Ruby's room from.

They were approaching room 205 as Penny started to say, "Well-" and was cut off by a loud crash from inside Ruby's dorm. "What was that?" Penny asked.

"Ummm...I don't know...but it didn't sound good…" Ruby responded as they rushed into the dorm. "What's going on?!" Ruby asked as she got into her dorm. Looking in the room, Ruby saw that the couch had been flipped over, and Nora was standing over top of it in a pose that resembled a knight that had just conquered a vicious beast.

"Hi, Ruby! Hey! Hi! How you doin'? Nice day out! DID YOU HEAR THAT SMELL?" Nora asked. When nobody responded, Nora kept talking, "No? Okay!"

Ruby finally asked "Uhh….Nora? Are you okay?" Penny just watched the chaos unfold from the side of the room. Her cousin seemed to have enough to handle without having to worry about her stepping in to make things much worse.

"I just drank aLOOOOOOOOOOOOTT of Red Bull, and I-" Nora said quickly. "Are you sure you can't hear that?"

"Hear what?" Ruby asked.

"Hear the smell of fresh grass! There it is again!" Nora yelled.

"Are you going to be okay, Nora? You don't look too good…" Ruby said, noting as Nora started turning pale.

"Of course I am! I feel fi-" Nora didn't finish as she face-planted in front of Ruby. As she fell, her face slammed against the corner of the table, leaving her with a pretty nasty gash on her head, close to where her hairline was. Once she hit the table, Nora's body twisted and she landed unconscious on her back, a weird grin on her face, and blood dripping out of the wound that she had just received.

"Oh my gosh!" Ruby yelled.

"Come on! We have to take her to the health center!" Penny said, picking Nora up as if she were as light as a feather.

At the health center, the staff explained that they were going to have to call an ambulance to take Nora to the emergency room, because they didn't have any doctors in the building at the moment. Even if they did, they couldn't do stitches in that facility, as Nora had a pretty sizeable cut in her forehead that required them.

* * *

After the stitches, Ren was permitted to see Nora. He explained all of her expeditions and adventures. Pyrrha and Yang added in some things that Ren missed. Nora said slowly, "What happened between when I was at Pyrrha's practice and when I passed out?"

As Nora asked that, Blake walked in and slapped Nora, without saying anything. Blake then walked out and went to the waiting room.

"Ohhhhh….yeaaaaahhhhh….that was it!" Nora said, realization dawning on her face.

"What?" Ren, Pyrrha, Yang, Ruby, and Penny asked.

"Oh, NOTHING!" Nora said. "Nap time!" Nora then fell asleep and left everyone wordless.

Yang went out to the waiting room and asked, "What happened in there?"

"She stole my whole drawer of underwear!" Blake explained.

* * *

The next day, Nora woke up after crashing hard. "Mmmmmmhphmmmm...whaddya want….?" Nora asked.

"Are you okay, Nora?" Ren asked slowly.

"Oh yeah! I'm super fucking peachy!" Nora said sarcastically. "Do I look fine? Get me some water."

Ren laughed, shook his head, and handed Nora a bottle of water. "So how do you feel?" he asked.

"My mouth feels as if I have been walking through the Sahara Desert for a week, and then whenever I saw a small pond, I would run towards it only for it to disappear the moment that I got to it. Damn mirages! Let me drink some of your non existent beauty that is known as water!" Nora rambled on.

"Well, at least we don't have to worry about you doing this ever again."

"What'd you want, a medal for stayin' here with me? Sure, you're a good friend, thanks! Now can you get me some food? Scratch that, I'm gettin out of here soon, I'll get some myself."

 _Sigh_ "Alright Nora. I'll be waiting for you at the room."

The angry redhead had dismissed Ren from her room. He said he'd wait for her back at their dorm, but of course, he waited for her there, hearing the yelling that emitted from the room after the doctor entered.

"Well, Ms. Valkyrie, I hope you learned your lesson from all this."

"Nah, naaah, I tootally didn't! I think I'll go drink some more red bull when I get outta here! Speakin of which, can I leave now?"

"... Yes, Ms. Valkyrie, you can."

"Greeaaaat. If you'll excuse me then."

The coated man trudged out into the hallway, leaving Nora to get dressed and leave. At least the pounding in her head had lessened slightly by the time he had left. Coming around the corner in front of the elevator, however, was Ren.

"Thought you were gonna wait for me at the dorm."

"I figured you would probably appreciate me sticking around and waiting for you."

"... It's not like I told you to stay….. But thanks, I guess."

"You're welcome, Nora."

Even if this was a very different side to Nora than normal, Ren had still waited for her, dealt with her anger, and held her hand as they walked together.

"J-jeez! It's too embarrassing for you to hold my hand like this."

"I always do, though."

"W-well yeah, but…. W-whatever! Let's just go home!"

"Alright Nora, let's go."

* * *

 **AN: Sylver: So that was a thing...now, I know that isn't exactly what happens when you drink Red Bull, but we had a funny conversation at "potato hour" (past midnight (and sanity)) where we talked about "what if you could taste smells?" and such….Gavin-esque questions.**

 **Noble: To be fair, you can partially blame Commander for having that steak that he drowned in Ghost Pepper spices.**

 **PhoenixCmdr: For the record it wasn't drowned in ghost peppers it was marinated in ghost peppers and wasabi paste. Even though I couldn't taste anything for a week it was glorious! #NOREGRETS!**

 **Lymle: You'd think this chapter was shake n' bake, cause I helped!**

 **Peace: I'm sorry, who let you out of your cage?**

 **Lymle: Wait, I was supposed to be in a cage?**

 **Noble: Jesus, this was a very strange chapter. Yet at the same time, I wouldn't be surprised by Nora pulling a stunt like this.**

 **Peace: It's just her general character. I wouldn't expect less.**

 **Noble: True, but that's something that we already know. Plus this is just too funny to pass up.**

 **Anyway, hope you enjoyed the usual antics of our chapter this week. We hope you fave, follow, and review this. They help us create greater content for you to enjoy!**

 **(Tumbleweed)**


	11. Lights Go Out

_**Weiss**_

Weiss wasn't usually one to enjoy a potentially bad storm. It wasn't that she hated the storm itself. She would actually enjoy the storm if the power were to stay on. Most of the time, she would simply say that it's because she wanted to just get her homework done without the interruption of a lack of power, but the truth was, she was actually terrified of the dark. It was one of her biggest secrets that she absolutely refused to share with anyone.

Back when she was younger, someone had tried to kidnap her in the middle of the night. Despite having failed the attempt, Weiss became scared of being in the dark without any sort of light around her. It's why she actually installed a very dim night light into the room she shared with Ruby, claiming that it was because she usually had to get up in the middle of the night and actually wanted to see where it was that she was going.

While Ruby had given Weiss the benefit of the doubt, Weiss always had a feeling that Ruby knew it wasn't because of that. As long as Ruby didn't air her suspicions though, Weiss couldn't've cared less what the girl thought of it. They had only been rooming together for a few weeks anyway. It's not like she considered the girl a really close friend, though she would admit that Ruby was slowly making her way towards being a friend, even if she did act like a buffoon at times.

As Weiss was sitting out on the couch with her roommates, she looked towards the window and saw just how dark it actually was. No matter what, she wouldn't even consider stepping outside for anything. Between it being dark out, and the fact that the rain would likely soak her to the bone, she would rather stay inside and be mocked than risk it. As it was, the sounds of the rain were mostly countered by the sounds of Ruby, Nora, Jaune and Yang playing Super Smash Bros., while Pyrrha was taking a warm shower because of her practice, and Ren was off studying near the kitchen.

Somehow, Weiss couldn't tell where Blake was, though she could assume that the raven haired girl was in her own room working on stuff. In the end, Weiss really paid no attention to any of that, only taking note that the water from Pyrrha's shower shut off after a few minutes. She heard the curtain open up, and then Pyrrha's door open and close seconds later.

"Yeah!"

Weiss turned back towards the TV, noticing how Yang was standing with her arms raised in victory. "I win again!"

"That's because you keep using Pikachu," Jaune complained.

"Admit it Jaune, you wish you could be as good as-" Yang was saying before she was cut off by the power going out.

The suddenness of it all startled Weiss, though she somehow managed to avoid screaming out in fear. As it was, her eyes went wide and she started to make herself smaller by holding her legs up to her chest. ' _N-no t-this is n-not hap-pening!'_ Her thoughts screamed.

"CODE BLUE!" Nora shouted.

"Are you kidding me?" Yang proclaimed as soon as the power went out. "God Damn it Blake! Stop Downloading Porn! That'll Be The Second Laptop This Month!"

"Come on, Yang, it could be worse," Ruby mentioned.

"True," Yang said as she turned around. Though she had to strain her eyes to see, Yang noticed that Weiss seemed to be acting different than she normally did. "Yo, what's up with you Ice Queen?"

As soon as Yang mentioned Weiss, everyone turned towards her, wondering what the heck was going on. Even Ren looked up from his work to take notice of her, though it probably could also be because he couldn't finish his homework in the dark.

Weiss didn't even register the worried looks, or the question Yang had asked. ' _N-no p-please h-help me! Just get rid of the darkness!'_ She silently begged, the voices of her friends seeming distant. Not a moment later, Pyrrha came out to the common room in nothing but a robe with a towel over her hair.

"What the heck happened to the power?" She asked once she got out to the common room.

"It went out," Jaune said.

"Well no duh," Pyrrha replied. Almost immediately afterwards she noticed Weiss and the state that she was in. "Oh boy, Weiss doesn't look too well right now."

"Yeah, we don't know why but as soon as the power went out she pretty much went into full stasis mode," Ruby mentioned.

After hearing what it was that Ruby said, Pyrrha had some idea as to what was going on, though she kept it to herself, she decided to try and help Weiss out. "Hey guys, why don't you all head back to your rooms? Ruby, you should go hang out with Nora in our room, even if it goes so late that you fall asleep in there."

As curious as everyone was, they decided to let it be, each of them making their way back to their rooms, with Ruby following Nora over to hers. Once they were all out, Pyrrha knelt in front of Weiss and gently grazed her arm. "Weiss, it's me, Pyrrha," She softly whispered. "Do you mind if I take you back to your room?"

Weiss looked up for the first time, "P-Pyrrha?" her question was almost inaudible as her mind tried to regain some semblance of control.

"Yes Weiss, it's me." the redhead replied softly. Noticing that it was indeed her friend, Weiss nodded softly. She felt Pyrrha wrap her arms underneath the back of her knees and behind her back, feeling the red head lifting her up and walking her back into her room. Weiss could barely hear the creak of the door as Pyrrha opened it. Through her mental fog, Weiss could feel Pyrrha making her way over to her bed and lowering her gently into it.

"Is there anything else that I can do for you Weiss?" Pyrrha asked.

In the distance of her thoughts, Weiss could barely hear the question and didn't trust her own voice to remain steady, so instead of a verbal response, she suddenly grabbed Pyrrha's arm and practically pulled her down onto the bed.

* * *

 _ **Pyrrha**_

As Pyrrha turned on the shower to warm the water, she could hear her roommates playing in the common room. She could hear the excited sound of Yang once again beating the others in a match of Super Smash Bros.

"And that's another one for me!" Pyrrha heard Yang call out.

"Dang it Yang, why do you always use Pikachu?!" Ruby's reply muffled some by the door.

Pyrrha couldn't help but chuckle, ' _I'll have to show them how the game is really played when I'm done.'_ She thought, before disrobing and stepping into the shower. She could feel the tension in her muscles, that had built up from soccer practice, relax. "This feeels great!" Pyrrha groaned, as her muscles loosened. Even with the torrent of rain that had been going on for most of the day, the soccer coach had not cancelled practice due to the game that was taking place the next day over at Haven University. Unfortunately that meant the field was soaked and the team's footing was unstable. More than a few members of the team were going to be sore for a while, Pyrrha included. As she started washing her hair she could still make out the sounds of virtual battle being waged.

"And that's three!" Yang's muffled shout rang out.

' _That's it I'm gonna have to show her who the best Super Smash Bros. player really is.'_ Pyrrha thought, with a smirk. Her favorite character in the game was Jigglypuff. With her in control it was an unstoppable force of destruction. Reluctantly finishing her shower, the warm embrace of the water too tempting to leave, the tall redhead walked into the room she and Nora shared. Just after she had managed to put on her bathrobe and wrap her hair in a towel, the power cut out. "What the heck happened to the power?" She asked once she got out to the common room.

"It went out," Jaune said.

"Well no duh," Pyrrha replied. Almost immediately afterwards, she noticed Weiss and the state that she was in. "Oh boy, Weiss doesn't look too well right now."

"Yeah, we don't know why but as soon as the power went out she pretty much went into full stasis mode," Ruby mentioned.

After hearing what it was that Ruby said, Pyrrha had some idea as to what was going on, ' _She must be absolutely terrified of the dark if she's like this. It's not an entirely irrational fear, I'll see if there is anything I can do to help her.'_ she thought, deciding to try and help Weiss out. "Hey guys, why don't you all head back to your rooms? Ruby, you should go hang out with Nora in our room, even if it goes so late that you fall asleep in there."

As curious as everyone was, they decided to let it be, each of them making their way back to their rooms, with Ruby following Nora over to hers. Once they were all out, Pyrrha knelt in front of Weiss and gently grazed her arm. "Weiss, it's me, Pyrrha," She softly whispered. "Do you mind if I take you back to your room?"

Weiss looked up for the first time, "P-Pyrrha?" her question was almost inaudible as she remained rigid in a ball, defending herself from unknown forces.

"Yes Weiss, it's me." the redhead replied softly. ' _This is affecting her much worse than I thought. In her state she is not going to be able to get to her bed on her own.'_ Pyrrha thought, carefully hooking one arm under the white haired girl's knees as the other supported her back. ' _She's a lot lighter than she looks. Must be her training regimen.'_ After getting the door to the room opened and lowering the frightened girl onto her bed "Is there anything else that I can do for you Weiss?" Pyrrha asked. Instead of a verbal response, Weiss suddenly grabbed Pyrrha's arm and practically pulled her down into the bed.

Pyrrha was a little surprised by that, however she wasn't going to complain about it, not while Weiss needed some comfort instead of complaints. Soon Pyrrha realized that she was laying down behind Weiss, who was cradled in the redhead's arms.

' _Holy crap, I'm spooning Weiss right now,'_ Pyrrha thought to herself as she realized the state of dress that she was in, the only thing covering her being the bathrobe and nothing else underneath. That was when she felt the butterflies in her stomach once again. The same butterfly feeling she got when she first saw Ruby, and during a few times when the two of them were alone together.

' _There's that feeling again, though given what we're doing right now, I'm not surprised by it in any way_ ,' Pyrrha whispered in her head. ' _She does look beautiful right…now…oh my god._ '

Pyrrha's face went red, her body became superheated and she heard Weiss whisper softly in the middle of the silence. "Mmh, warm."

' _Oh my god, I think I might be gay,_ ' Pyrrha thought to herself as she laid there, unable to escape Weiss' grip.

* * *

 _ **Room B**_

' _Well that was a fun game...too bad we had to end early,'_ Yang thought as she walked back to her room, using her phone as a flashlight. When she got back to the room, she saw that Blake's bed was not occupied and she did not see Blake anywhere else in the room. "Blake?" Yang asked a seemingly empty room. "Are you here?" That's when she heard it, a small mewing noise from under Blake's bed. Yang slowly crouched down next to Blake's bed and saw that Blake was curled up as close to the wall as she could get, hiding her head, with her ears pulled tightly against her. "Blake?"

Blake looked up slowly and saw the blonde looking at her; she blushed, adding the feeling of embarrassment to her already wild emotions and racing thoughts. ' _Of course this would happen. Of course the roommate that I will have for the rest of the year would see me like this.'_ Blake thought, shuddering as another crash of thunder boomed outside. Blake was startled when Yang started to climb under the bed to join Blake, bringing heavy blankets with her.

Yang wrapped a blanket around Blake and pulled another one over the two of them. Yang then hugged Blake tightly to her and said, "You don't have to be alone."

* * *

 _ **Morning After - Room A**_

In the morning, Weiss' eyes fluttered open, her mind having a full night's rest. As she went to go and stretch however, Weiss felt something wrapped around her, and she looked back to see that Pyrrha was laying down on her bed with her, still sleeping. Weiss quickly turned around and kicked Pyrrha out of her bed, forcing the taller woman onto the floor with a thud.

As Pyrrha made contact with the floor, her head landed pretty hard and she felt pain swelling up by where the impact happened. "Ow!" Pyrrha winced once her head hit the floor. Reaching up behind her, Pyrrha held her head as she felt the headache coming on. "What the hell was that for?"

"What were you doing in my bed?" Weiss practically screamed.

Pyrrha then realized that Weiss had forgotten all about what had happened the night before. Adjusting her robe so she didn't reveal anything as she rearranged herself on the floor, Pyrrha went on to explain what happened. "Well, since you don't seem to remember, last night you got really frightened once the power went out."

"Wait, the power went out last night?" Weiss asked. She sounded much more worried than she normally would have.

"Yeah, I brought you back here, and when I asked if you needed anything, you practically pulled me down onto the bed with you," Pyrrha replied. "Though I guess having me here with you helped get you through the night."

Weiss had to admit that she was surprised. She hadn't expected to hear that sleep came to her easily despite the power going out. It definitely gave her something to look into at another point in time, though she wouldn't do so while Pyrrha was around. "Oh, well, I guess I should say thank you," Weiss conceded.

"You're welcome," Pyrrha replied. "Though next time can you please not kick me out of your bed? And could you give me a chance to actually change into something else so that I don't have to sleep in my bathrobe? I'd actually like to sleep in my pajamas instead."

"Right," Weiss grumbled. "So, where was Ruby during this entire time?"

"She spent the night in my room," Pyrrha replied. "Pretty sure she wants to get back into her room by the way."

Pyrrha stood up and started to walk out of the room, only to have Weiss grab a hold of her wrist before she got too far away. "Something else, Weiss?" Pyrrha asked.

"I just wanted to say thanks," Weiss said. "I appreciate that you would do this for me when you didn't need to. So, thank you, for helping me through the night."

"You're welcome, Weiss," Pyrrha said, giving Weiss a smile. Weiss released Pyrrha's wrist and watched as the redhead left the room.

Once Pyrrha walked out of the room, she shut the door behind her and immediately leaned back against it. She was fortunate that no one else was out in the room at the moment, as her mind immediately went into a flurry of different emotions after the revelations she went through just the night before.

Pushing those aside, Pyrrha walked back to her room so that she could get changed and get started with her already intense day.

* * *

 _ **Morning After - Room B**_

"OWWWWWWW!" Yang yelled. She had sat up and immediately hit her head on something hard. "Oh, fuck! That hurt!" Yang laid back down, rubbing her head, and realized that she was still under Blake's bed.

Blake looked over at Yang and grinned. "Morning, sleepyhead," she said, laughing as Yang made a face.

Yang pulled herself out from under the bed and stretched all of her sore muscles. "My body is going to feel like crap today; thank you very much," she said to Blake, somewhat grumpily. In the meantime, Blake pulled herself out and was stretching as well.

The two looked at each other for a moment and began to say something at the exact same time. Blake said, "Oh...you go."

Yang responded, "No, I want to hear what you have to say."

At that, Blake took a deep breath and said, "I want to thank you for last night. I was feeling crappy, even before the storm started, and once it did-" Blake shuddered. "Why did you climb under the bed with me?"

Yang looked at Blake for a while, then said, "Because, what else would I have done? Laugh at you? No, you're a friend and you were obviously scared. I'd never laugh at you for something serious. Would I have pulled you out from under the bed? Never. Obviously, there is some comfort in that, and while it would have saved us from sore muscles this morning, it would have been too much trouble."

"I've been afraid of thunderstorms since I was a child. I think part of it has to do with my sharp hearing," Blake said, pointing to her cat ears. "But if I were ever at a sleepover, or a friend had come by, or even if my family was around, I'd be laughed at or criticized. Honestly, I expected _that,_ not what you did."

Yang's eyes flashed and she responded, "Well those people are wrong. You can't help that you're afraid of thunderstorms, and it's not something you should be ashamed of."

"Thanks, Yang," Blake replied quietly.

Yang looked at Blake kindly and said, "You're welcome, and I do mean what I said. Even what I said last night. You don't have to be alone."

* * *

 **AN: Noble: Would you believe me if I said this chapter was written out months ago? This was actually written out before the first chapter I believe. Hard to believe right?**

 **Also it's just myself and Commander this week since everyone seems to be busy with who knows what.**

 **PhoenixCmdr: Still not sure if this was the first or second chapter we had done. I will say this delving into Weiss' psyche was my favorite part of writing this out.**

 **Noble: Plus now we start to get the ball rolling on the potential pairings for the series. Some obvious, some not so obvious, some of them we are throwing hints at throughout the entire course of this story.**

 **PhoenixCmdr: One of those hints has been staring you all in the face since day one.**

 **Noble: Fucking tease them why don't you?**

 **Also, as for last week's chapter, we realize that some things are EXTREMELY far fetched, but we were mostly going for comedic value. Yes it seems very outlandish that Nora would get that much of a rush off of Red Bull. Honestly though, we thought it would be funny to see a character, which up to this point has been mostly developed (and I say that under the context that there hasn't been too much development of her or Ren thus far in the show as a whole) as the bubbly hyperactive girl that can be serious at times, get even more hyperactive off of Red Bull. Whether you liked it or not is up to you guys, but we thought this was a funny and entertaining chapter.**

 **PhoenixCmdr: We will be dialing things back down for a bit, but expect your usual dose of shenanigans from the gang in 205 when the situation calls for it.**

 **Noble: Besides that, we are really glad at where this story has gotten to so far, and in the near future (I'm hoping by next Saturday), we should be releasing our first episode of the Podcast we have been planning for some time now!**

 ***Angel in background*: Whaaaaaaaaalllllllleeeeeeeeessssssss!**

 ***Peace, also in the background*: ANGEL I SWEAR TO WHATEVER GOD YOU BELIEVE IN, I WILL END YOU!**

 **PhoenixCmdr: You guys are gonna be the death of me.**

 **Noble: Oh you love it, just admit it.**

 **Anyway, thanks for catching up on this chapter, and I really hope you enjoy more of what's to come from Room 205! This is Noble and Commander, signing off.**

 **Side Note: Go check out Phoenix Commander's latest fic, "Glyph Runner" and my latest fic "Forgive Me Ruby"!**

 **(Tumbleweed)**


	12. Break a Leg Out There

**Pyrrha**

Riding on the bus to her game that day, Pyrrha was anything but focused on what she needed to do. Her entire mind was continuously running the events of the night before in her head, and what that could mean to her now. Everything seemed to be coming down on her right when she didn't need it to, but somehow, it wasn't that much of a surprise to her that it ended up happening this way.

' _Of all the times when I have to deal with this, it had to be now?_ ' Pyrrha thought to herself. ' _How come it had to be me anyway? What will my parents think of this, what will my brother think of this?'_

The entire trip, Pyrrha had all these thoughts racing throughout her head. It went by so much that she didn't even notice when they arrived at the school. Feeling a nudge on her shoulder, Pyrrha was finally stirred from her thoughts, noticing Reese kneeling on the seat next to hers.

"Hey, you alright there, Pyrrha?" Reese asked.

"Yeah, just got some stuff on my mind right now," Pyrrha replied.

"Well, get your head out of the clouds," Reese said, laying a light punch to Pyrrha's arm. "We got a game to play right now."

That was when Pyrrha finally realized that the team had made it over to the school. "Wow, I didn't realize we arrived."

"Geez, you really aren't paying attention today," Reese said. "Usually by now you're all pumped up and getting ready for the game, not daydreaming and letting the lights get to your head."

"Haha," Pyrrha dryly commented as she stood up and grabbed her bag. "Now that we're here, I shouldn't have a problem with my head."

"That sounds like the Pyrrha I know," Reese reacted, patting Pyrrha on the back as the two of them walked off the bus.

Deep down in Pyrrha's head though, she knew that those lingering thoughts of hers weren't going to be going away any time soon.

* * *

 **Weiss**

"Any reason why you are having me do this Ruby?"

"Because, you promised me that you would watch this," Ruby replied to Weiss as she sat down next to her on the couch. "You yourself said to me that you would do this as a way for the two of us to get to know each other better, so come on, it'll be fun, I promise."

Weiss knew that she had promised Ruby that she would do just that. "Alright fine, but what exactly do you have planned for me today?"

"Welp, you and I are going to be watching one of my favorite shows of all time!" Ruby proclaimed. "It's called Red vs. Blue, and it's super hilarious. Little slow at first, but eventually it gets to some of the good stuff."

"I'll be the judge of that," Weiss replied.

Before they could start the show, however, Ruby and Weiss noticed the front door open. What surprised them the most was that Pyrrha was coming back into the dorm, with Reese helping her walk. The two could see that Pyrrha was in pain, and they immediately jumped into action.

"What happened?" Ruby asked.

"Pretty sure I broke my ankle," Pyrrha replied. "I should be fine though."

"A broken ankle?" Weiss asked. "What happened to you?"

Reese let Ruby and Weiss take over with helping Pyrrha to her room. "I'll let coach know you made it back to your room safely," Reese said to Pyrrha. "Remember, coach scheduled an x-ray for your ankle tomorrow, so you'll need to meet up with her for that."

"I'll be there," Pyrrha replied as she had Ruby and Weiss help her to her room. Nora, who was sitting in the room she shared with Pyrrha, saw that her roommate was being helped in, noting her favoring one foot over the other. Seeing as how they had a good grip on helping Pyrrha, she just waited for the pair to be done, making sure the path was clear and throwing back the blankets on Pyrrha's bed.

Ruby and Weiss helped Pyrrha sit down on her bed. "I may need some help getting changed, but don't worry, I'll be able to keep myself covered down there."

"Oh lovely," Weiss mentioned. "So, do you mind telling us exactly what happened?"

Pyrrha was a bit embarrassed to admit what it was that had caused her to break her ankle. "Well, I guess my head wasn't entirely in the game today," Pyrrha explained. "I was in the middle of going for the ball, and I didn't notice this one person running in from the side and sliding to reach it. Unfortunately, her foot caught my ankle and rolled it, and I went down. Pretty sure that it's broken because I knew instantly that I wasn't gonna be able to stand on it."

"Oh my god that's terrible," Ruby said.

Weiss on the other hand, was dead silent. When she heard that Pyrrha's head wasn't entirely in the game, Weiss had an idea as to why that was the case. Thinking back to that very morning, Weiss remembered how she was laying in the same bed as Pyrrha. From what she was told, Pyrrha had been pulled onto the bed by Weiss herself.

"I'm sorry," Weiss said, feeling guilty over doing this to Pyrrha.

"What for?" Pyrrha asked.

"Because I feel like it's my fault after what happened last night," Weiss admitted. "If I didn't do what I did, then you probably wouldn't have to worry about it. Maybe then you wouldn't have gotten hurt."

"Weiss, don't worry about it, ok?" Pyrrha said, grabbing Weiss' hand and holding it gently in her own. "I don't blame you for that, I just had some..." Pyrrha paused as she tried to find a way to word her thoughts. "...other stuff, some more personal stuff, on my mind all day."

"You sure?" Weiss asked.

"Yeah, I'm sure," Pyrrha replied, pulling a blanket over her lower half. Ruby looked back and forth between them, confused about what they were talking about, but decided not to ask. "Now, unless you two are just gonna stand there and chat," Pyrrha continued, "I would really appreciate it if someone would help me change into my pajamas. As long as you get them above the knees, I should be good to go."

Before saying anything, Weiss walked over to Pyrrha's closet and grabbed her pajamas and a spare change of underwear. "Ok, you get your shorts down, I'll pull them off your legs the rest of the way. After that, I'll get these on and you can take care of the rest."

It didn't take long for Weiss to help Pyrrha change out of her shorts, though it took some coordination on Weiss and Pyrrha's part to reach a point where it would be easy to change her shorts into her pajamas. Once they were done, though, Pyrrha sat on her bed with a spare pillow under her broken ankle.

"Thanks guys," Pyrrha mentioned. "Sorry for interrupting your fun, by the way, though I appreciate you taking the time to help me out."

"No, it's ok," Ruby said. "We're just glad we could help."

"Alright, well I'm gonna be in here the rest of the night,"Pyrrha replied. "Don't worry about me, if anything, Nora can help me out if I need it. You two go have fun, ok?"

"Ok," Weiss said. "If you want us to help though-"

"Don't worry about it Weiss, ok?" Pyrrha said. "Go have fun, I'll be alright."

"OK," Weiss conceded before walking out of the room with Ruby. "Ok, so I guess we go back to whatever it was that you wanted to show me before Pyrrha showed up?"

Ruby immediately beamed and vaulted over the couch so that she could get the video set up. "Oh man, you're going to love this, Weiss," Ruby said as Weiss watched the excited red ball of pure sugar energy go full ham on getting things set up.

* * *

 **Pyrrha**

Once Pyrrha saw Weiss and Ruby leave the room, she leaned back, grabbed a pillow that was next to her, and screamed into it. Despite what she told Ruby and Weiss, Pyrrha wasn't entirely feeling alright. Her mind had gotten even worse now that she had her injury, since all that she could focus on was what had been distracting her in the first place.

Nora looked over and saw Pyrrha acting frustrated, unsure if it was because of her ankle, or whether it was something else. "You need me for anything, Pyrrha?" Nora asked from across the room.

Pyrrha had forgotten that Nora was still in the room, and she wasn't sure of what to say to her roommate. It wasn't until she remembered something about Nora that she felt like talking about the very thing that was distracting her in the first place.

"I'm just frustrated," Pyrrha groaned. "I don't know whether I should get this out in the open, or forget about it and hope that it goes away, but I don't know what to think of it."

"What are you talking about?" Nora asked, moving her chair over to Pyrrha's bed.

"Ok before I say anything, you need to swear that no one, not even Ren, will hear about this," Pyrrha demanded. "You understand?"

"Ok, what is going on?" Nora replied calmly, keeping still, with a warm look in her eye.

"Last night, after I brought Weiss into her room, she pulled me down onto her bed and kept me there all night," Pyrrha said. She expected Nora to go ballistic over the news, but to her surprise, Nora was silent, and waited for Pyrrha to say her peace. "The thing about it, part of me was thinking about how enjoyable it was, but I'm just so conflicted about it."

"You think you might be a lesbian, bi, that sort of thing?" Nora asked.

"Yeah, but I just don't know whether I actually am or not, and it's so confusing," Pyrrha groaned, sliding down until she was entirely laying on her bed. "I don't know what-"

To Pyrrha's surprise, Nora interrupted her by kissing her full on the lips. Hands holding Pyrrha's face, eyes closed, her lips pressed up right against Pyrrha's. Despite Pyrrha's initial shock, she couldn't help but eventually melt into it, and she even reached up once Nora pulled away.

After the initial feelings wore off, Pyrrha suddenly realized that Nora just brazenly kissed her out of nowhere. "Wait, what the hell just happened?"

"Did you enjoy that?" Nora asked.

"What?"

"Did you enjoy me kissing you?" Nora asked again.

Giving it some thought, Pyrrha responded to Nora in the best way she knew how. "Um, I guess I did. It certainly felt good, despite the fact that you're my roommate, and in a relationship."

"I see you also failed to care that I'm a girl and I kissed you," Nora said. Before Pyrrha went to say anything, she realized that Nora was right. She didn't have any reason to believe that she wasn't gay at this point. "Yep, you're at the very least bi or pan, if not full on lesbian."

"Oh boy, this is just great," Pyrrha said, resting her hands on her face. "What am I gonna tell my parents or my brother? What about the rest of our roommates? What are they gonna think of this?"

"So, your real question is how do you deal with coming out?" Pyrrha's orange haired roommate asked. "If you want, I can give you the short version of what I went through."

"Yes, though if you don't want to talk about what you went through I can understand." Pyrrha replied, trying to keep from offending Nora.

"Nonono! It's perfectly fine. You see, I had the same issues when I realized I was bi." Nora said, thinking about Pyrrha's reaction.

"Yes…I've made a lot of good friends here, and I've gotten closer to a few of them. But I'm afraid that if they find out, I'll lose them." The tall redhead said worriedly.

"Nope~!" Was the only reply Nora gave.

"What?" Pyrrha asked, confused.

"You won't lose them if you tell them. I was scared at first too, because when I told Ren, I thought he would have wanted nothing more to do with me. I was wrong, he still cares for me now as he did then. Possibly even more so. If you tell the others, you may find out they either won't see you differently, or they could possibly return your feelings." Nora replied to the question. It had been a bit of advice she had been saving for just such an occasion, and it had been the same she had delivered a few times before.

"What if they no longer want to associate with me?" Pyrrha asked, thinking about another possible outcome.

"Then they were not your friends to begin with. I know for a fact Yang, Ren, and I won't see you differently. So at the very least, you will always be able to count on us for support. Take your time with telling the others. Don't rush it, and I won't say a word to them before you do." Nora promised before heading to the door and into the common room.

"Thanks Nora. It feels good getting this out in the open a bit." Pyrrha said thanking her friend.

"Anytime Pyrrha, anytime." Came the short reply.

 **AN: Noble: So…..you want to know where I came up with the title for this chapter from?**

 **Commander: Do I really want to know where you came up with the name from?**

 **Noble: Well, let's just say that it came from Vol. 3 Ep. 6 of RWBY, when Yang "Broke" Mercury's knee.**

 **Except in this case it was only Pyrrha's ankle getting broken. And before you ask, yes that will be showing up in any chapter that she is in from here until we feel it has been an appropriate time for her ankle to heal.**

 **Commander: Fair enough, I mean, they don't have an aura in this. So, it'd be a traditional recovery time.**

 **Noble: Exactly! That's one of the big differences between this and the actual show. You can't stop bullets without taking any damage from them in the process.**

 **Commander: Don't remind me about bullets...please!**

 **Noble: Anyway, outside of that, what did you guys think of Nora's advice?**

 **Commander: Well, definitely shows her maturity level. Nora certainly knows what needs to be said at the right time.**

 **Noble: Unlike some people…*cough cough* Jaune in V3E8. *cough cough***

 **Commander: Yeah, definitely not his smartest moment.**

 **Noble: Still, he was trying, and going in with what he knew, he technically did say the right thing, just at the wrong time. Give credit where credit is due.**

 **Outside of that, our first episode of the podcast that we are producing is going live tomorrow! For those of you who are wondering, that is sometime on saturday since this gets published on fridays.**

 **Commander: It will be uploaded on PodBean and Itunes. Just look for Legion205 (no spaces and a capital L)!**

 **Noble: Yeah, the first episode, after taking a listen to it, is really great and I can't wait to see what you guys think of it! Lot of hard work put into this so far, and it's really paying off.**

 **Commander: Clearly you didn't listen to it well enough. I will not apologize for any loss of sanity while listening to our cancer inducing podcast.**

 **Noble: Eh, he's just salty because he is the only one with audio editing software on his computer (I really need to get some myself though). Regardless, thank you for tuning into this week's chapter. We hope you enjoyed this little nugget of fun, and we hope that you all take an interest in the podcast once it get's launched tomorrow!**

 **(tumbleweed)**


	13. Foiled Foils

**Angel: Enjoy the chapter all!**

* * *

"Next up on strip seven, Weiss Schnee on my left, and Neopolitan Torchwick on my right." announced the director that stood before the strip.

Weiss tucked her mask under her right arm and took hold on her Italian gripped epee fencing blade.

Her full white body suit was clean and sleek. The blade was completely clean of any bits of rust and all scratches were buffed out.

Weiss stepped onto the strip, one of the other team members right behind to help hook her up to the reel that was connected to the scoring machine.

It was the day of a large singles tournament that had invited schools from all around to compete for the first place prize.

The tournament was so large that the winner would gain a ranking in the national league. It was something that was almost unheard of, but the hosts of the tournament wanted a prize that would bring in hundreds of fencers from all over. And after some talks with the national fencing committee, they were able to make the prize happen.

Currently, Weiss held a solid D ranking.

This girl that she was about to fence, Weiss had heard about. She was a second year ametuear who was apparently a natural from Haven University, and had a C ranking.

She looked at her opponent as she was hooked up, the girl holding a smug, cocky, and confidence-filled grin.

' _Okay. Smiling. Which means she's cocky. Either that or she is just really confident. Well, we'll let her blade show just how good she is.'_ Weiss thought to herself.

She felt a tap on the back of her shoulder from her teammate, letting her know that she was all hooked up and good to go. She grabbed the wire that protruded from the opening in her glove, and plugged it in under the bell of the weapon.

Weiss tightly grasped the grip and quickly swung her blade over her left shoulder, at the same time lifting her back leg. The tip of the blade made contact with the bottom of her own shoes and the machine went off. It was a little flashy in some people's opinion, and some said that she was just a "show off", which wasn't wrong, but it was meant to establish a sort of dominance that she knew what she was doing, and she had been fencing for a long time by this point.

She brought her blade around to her front and walked up to her starting line where the director was waiting.

Weiss lowered her blade so that the tip was hovering before the face of the director. He grabbed the tip of blade and pulled a large metal weight from his pocket. This was used to make sure that the tip had the right amount of pressure on it to respond correctly. He placed it over the tip. The machine went off, a loud beep sounded, and a red light lit up on the machine.

The beep stopped, and the red light disappeared. The director pocketed the weight and pulled out a small strip of metal. Shims are what they are called, used to make sure that the tip wasn't too loose and the machine wouldn't react to the lightest touch.

The director then grabbed Weiss' weapon and began to pull, Weiss released the grip on the hilt, giving the director the foil. He inspected under the bell (hand guard), looking for any form of button that could be hidden under. If there _was_ a button under the bell, the button could be used to set off the machine and have a touch called, even if the blade had not made contact with the opponent.  
Finding no such button under the bell, the director handed the blade back to Weiss as she gripped it tightly in her hand once more.

Weiss' weapon passed the inspection and stood straight on the starting line. She bounced up and down a few times before tapping the side of her shoes with her blade.

Getting situated, she was surprised when she looked forward towards her opponent and saw the director reaching into his pocket. "Yellow card, Right. Faulty weapon."

' _Oh well.'_ Weiss said to herself. ' _Although, if I can get her to do something else that calls for a yellow card, that would be an extra point for me. Her cockiness should help with that in some way.'_

One of her opponent's teammates walked over to the strip and handed her a new blade. Quickly plugging her body cord into the blade, she gave a quick test on her foot to make sure that it at least worked fine. The buzzer went off, and the director began to test her weapon. After about half of a minute, the director gave the weapon back to the girl and returned to the edge of the strip.

"Test bells, please." He told them.

The two fencers approached each other, Weiss had her blade angled to the side, giving her opponent clear view of the bell.

She tapped the point of her weapon against Weiss' bell, and Weiss did the same to her. When neither of the blades went off, meaning that both of the cords were grounded properly, they knew that they were ready to go.

The two fencers saluted each other with their blades and then saluted the director, before finally saluting the crowd that watched.

"Masks on, En Garde." Weiss slid her mask over her head, the hard mesh that covered her face was colored completely white apart from the typical black. Weiss had met people in the past saying that the white coloring was intimidating because they hadn't been able to see her eyes under the mask.

She breathed out slightly, trying her best to slow down her heartbeat. She couldn't say that she wasn't nervous in some way possible. This girl was better than Weiss by one letter ranking. But that didn't mean that Weiss couldn't beat her. So she won more tournaments than her, big woop.

Weiss had easily beaten some of the older girls at her own university's club.

"Fencers on the Line." Weiss shifted her feet into an 'L' shape, placing most her weight on her right leg for the maximum length for when she took a lunge.

"Ready. Fence!"

In other tournaments, it would be the first to fifteen, but since there were a lot of fencers here today from multiple schools, they decided on first to five to make things go a little faster.

The time started on the clock, three minutes, first to five. Weiss advanced towards her opponent, keeping her blade pointed right towards her opponent's right shoulder.

The girl was keeping her distance, with Weiss being a lefty, she had a bit of an advantage.

But what the girl was doing completely baffled Weiss for a moment.

She was holding her blade so that the tip was pointed at an angle, leaving her wrist and hand completely exposed.

' _Well, she's trying to bait me in. That's obvious. Now the question is should I fake taking the bait or not.'_ Weiss thought to herself.

Weiss thought this over before deciding on doing it.

She gripped her blade and thrusted her arm forward with the point aiming right towards the girl's arm. Quickly bringing her arm back, while retreating a step, she noticed that the girl hadn't reacted to the attack.

' _Playing dumb? Maybe. Probably just more bait. I may be taller than her, but that doesn't mean she doesn't know how to do this.'_

Weiss shifted her leg behind her, dropping her around the same height as the girl.

With great speed, Weiss shot her right leg forward, clicking her heels together, before lunging with her left foot forward. She had performed a perfect balestra. It wasn't a hard move, it was just something that people who need the greatest amount of distance need to land their attacks at some points.

That, and it was one of Weiss' favorite moves. Her shooting forward so fast always managed to get her blood pumping fast.

As her point came in for her opponent's arm, Weiss had to let out a slight gasp.

The girl, just as quickly as Weiss, sidestepped to the left, Weiss' attack going passé. She stuck her arm out, and it made contact with Weiss' chest, a single green light going off.

"Halt, touch to my right." the director called.

Weiss stood and looked at the girl. Under the mask, Weiss could see the girl's cocky grin.

She was going to get on Weiss' nerves, that was evident.

Weiss walked back to her starting line and moved herself back into the on guard position.

"En garde. Ready? Fence."

Weiss quickly advanced forward and shot off her back leg. While in the lunge, she beat her opponents blade off to the far right, making it far out of line, and Weiss dug her point into her opponent's' right shoulder.

The machine called her touch and the director called for a halt, giving her the point.

"That's it, Weiss." One of her teammates called behind her. "Just like that."

Weiss nodded but didn't look back to the teammate.

Getting back into on guard, Weiss got ready for this bout that could potentially last a long time.

* * *

"Halt, touch to my right."

Weiss cursed under her breath as the girl had gotten another touch.

"The score is now four to three, advantage to my right. There are thirty seconds remaining on the timer."

Weiss gave a nod to the director, acknowledging the information. Most of Weiss' bouts usually lasted around one to two minutes, with Weiss' heavy offensive tactics leading to her victory.

She needed to play these next few seconds carefully. This girl clearly knew what she was doing against a left handed fencer. Most people would not know what to do because they were fairly hard to come by at times.

"En garde. Ready? Fence."

Weiss advanced towards the girl, her blade steady and aimed towards the shoulder. She was forcing the girl to back up as much down the strip as possible. If she could just push her off the strip, Weiss would get a point and the bout would be tied up. Now she just needed to put enough intimidation into her to do that.

She noticed that the girl liked to play offensive, as did Weiss, but this girl was all for it. It didn't mean that she did not have a good defense.

She had proven that with her wide knowledge of all the parrys, and the ability to execute them all with ease. Even when she scored her third point, She had taken Weiss' blade in a parry four, which slid her blade out far to the side, and angled her blade to hit Weiss directly in the foot.

Weiss prodded her blade at the other fencers handguard. The girl not reacting in the slightest to the fake attacks.

' _Do something.'_ Weiss said to herself, wanting to get some sort of a reaction out of her. But she just wouldn't do anything. Then the moment went in for the attack, she would make it look too easy.

Weiss kept her eyes on the blade of her opponent, briefly looking up at the other girl's eyes every so often.

They advanced and retreated back and forth on each other. Neo trying to wait out the time and seal her victory.

Weiss couldn't let her do that. Weiss, at the moment, didn't think about the full prize of the tournament. If this one girl in the second round was giving her troubles, what chance did she think that she had, knowing that there were plenty of much better fencers at the tournament who were also aiming for the first place prize.

"Ten seconds." The director said.

Weiss needed to move fast, she couldn't just give up. She moved most of her reserved strength into her left arm and her legs and lunged. As she did, Neo backed down the strip, avoiding the blade completely. As soon as Weiss' foot made contact with the ground, she brought her back foot forward and lunged again into a redouble.

Neo continued to back up down the strip, trying to parry Weiss' blade, but was unable to move the girls blade, as if her arm had been turned to stone.

Weiss redoubled one more time and the blade almost made contact with Neo's chest, but the girl jumped far back and landed on the strip, ready to counter attack.

"Halt. Fencer off strip. Point left."

Weiss' eyes widened and looked at where Neo has landed. Her front foot was just beyond the end line of the strip.

"Good job, Weiss!" her teammate called back from behind her. "Two seconds left!"

This bout was obviously going to go into overtime.

Weiss just needed to back up out of Neo's way before she could get a touch in the final two seconds.

She returned to her on guard line and went back to the position that she had been fighting in for years.

"En grade. Ready?"

Weiss looked at Neo's legs and saw her legs tensing up, ready to lunge forwards at Weiss with great speed. Weiss knew that she needed to retreat.

"Fence."

The girl advanced towards Weiss at great speeds.

But as Weiss went to back up, she almost tripped over herself and had to regain her footing. Weiss saw where Neo's blade was going to come in, it was going to come in… low.

This was her chance to end it here before the overtime.

Weiss extended her arm outwards and her blade came up and over Neo's blade arm. Neo advanced one more time.

Landing Weiss' blades tip right onto Neo's arm. The touch seemed to surprise the girl and she jumped back, losing her own footing

The light went off, followed by the timer on the machine.

"Halt. Touch to my left. Bout." Weiss removed her mask and let out a breath of air that she didn't realize that she was keeping in during those final few seconds.

Neo stood straight up and removed her mask. She removed her wire from her blade and placed both the mask and the blade on the ground.

She looked to the director and began flashing her hands up in the air, as if she was playing charades.

"I'm sorry, I don't know sign language." the director said to the girl.

"I do." someone said. Weiss looked off to the side of the box and saw a man with orange hair walking over to the director.

"You can interpret?" The director asked.

"Of course I can, I'm her father." said the man.

"She says that the light obviously went off after the timer ended. It should be overtime." the man interpred.

"I'm sorry, sir. I saw the light go off before the timer. The touch is good. Bout."

The girl flashed more signs at the director.

"She says that is absurd."

"Ma'am, if you keep arguing with me I will be forced to give you a black card and you will be expelled from the tournament."

The girl looked like she had been just slapped across the face with the threat. It was lucky that she was just being given a warning. She had seen other fencers not even be given a warning and then fully expelled from a match, and then a second tournament down the line before they were able to take part in another.

Eventually, the girl reluctantly removed her wire from the strip and walked away from the box.

Weiss removed her own wire and walked over to the area where her teammates were waiting. They gave high fives all around, and one handed Weiss a water bottle, which Weiss took graciously and downed half the bottle in the first sip. Recapping the bottle, Weiss thought to herself, knowing that she had many more bouts until her day was over.

She remembered that she had something right after this. Everyone from the dorm room were all going out on a three day camping trip for the extended holiday weekend.

' _This is going to be a long weekend.'_ Weiss thought as she gathered her stuff for her next bout.

* * *

Weiss walked out of the building with her fencing bag slung over her shoulder and across her back. Her Patch University zip jacket kept her warm in the mild mid fall air.

She felt a vibration in her pocket, pulled out her cell, and checked who the message was from.

 _-Yo Princess, Where u at?- Yang_.

Weiss gave an annoyed sigh, knowing that she had told the blonde haired girl that she was going to be outside the front of the building.

 _-I'm outside, right where I said I would be-_

Weiss looked up and saw a car coming around the front of the building. Weiss recognized it as Yang's Camaro.

She waved her arm, and the car pulled up next to Weiss. Yang got out of the car, and looked over to Weiss.

"Need help getting your gear in the trunk?" she asked.

"No thanks, just open it and I can put it inside."

"Gotcha." Yang ducked back inside her car and the trunk opened up.

Weiss walked over and tossed the bag inside, careful not to crush some other packed bags already inside, closing the trunk over them and then going to the passenger side door, opening it up, and ducking down inside. As soon as she was in, the car took off for the camp grounds.

The car felt like it was over a hundred degrees inside.

"God, why is it so hot in here?" Weiss asked.

"Hey, I like the warmth. The cold is something that has not been something that treats me well."  
"Then why didn't you go somewhere warmer for college?"  
"Didn't want to be too far away from home… also Ruby wanting to go there. Didn't want to leave behind my dear little sister."

"Fair enough, I guess. So how long until we get to the campground?" Weiss asked.

"About a half hour. Everyone else should be there now, setting things up."

"Well, let's get going."

* * *

Yang's car pulled onto the campground lot and she pulled it into a parking spot that was right next to Jaune and Ren's own cars.

The two got out of the car and went over to the trunk that Yang had opened. They grabbed a few bags out that they needed to bring to the camp site.

Yang closed the trunk and locked the car up, and the two went over to the trail that led to the camping area.

After a few minutes of walking, they arrived at the site.

Weiss saw the group setting up multiple tents around a large fire pit. She then noticed Pyrrha was sitting on one of the nearby logs, a pair of crutches sitting right next to her.

She and Yang walked onto the small site and Yang looked over at Pyrrha. "Why ain't you doing anything?" Yang asked the red haired girl.

The only response she got from the soccer player was her pointing a finger at her broken ankle.

"Oh. Right." Yang said.

"I'm just supervising." Pyrrha said with a small smile.

"Well you can supervise the food." Yang said as she placed down two coolers next to Pyrrha. "Think you can do one more check of what we have to get us through the days?"

"Sure, sounds easy enough." She said as she opened up one of the coolers.

"Weiss, that bag has some spare blankets and other things in it, can you bring it over to Ruby's tent? You'll be sharing with her, by the way."

"Alright." She replied.

Weiss walked over to where she saw Ruby setting up the tent. She appeared to be just finishing up. The tent looked… for lack of a better word, perfect.

It didn't look like it was about to collapse or fly away with a single gust of wind.

"Oh, hey Weiss. How'd the fencing thing go?" Ruby asked as she noticed Weiss walk up.

"Well, I got out early, I'm sure you can tell just how far I made it." Weiss said with a sigh.

"Dang. That sucks."

"Yeah." Weiss said as she placed down the bag next to the tent. "I'm surprised I got as far as I did though. I got eliminated in the quarter finals. And with how many people that were there with a higher ranking than me, I would consider myself lucky to be honest."

"Well if you tried hard and fought well, I would consider that a victory in its own."

"That's a good way to look at it." Weiss said after thinking for a moment.

"I think so. Plus, you get to spend more time with us!" Ruby said. Weiss looked over the girl and saw that she was wearing a pair of blue jeans and a zip-up jacket. A pair of work boots covered her feet. To Weiss, they looked like a pair of combat boots.

Meanwhile, Weiss looked like she was about to run a mile in what looked like track wear.

Weiss helped Ruby finish with setting up the tent. All they needed to do was set up a tarp on the floor of the inside to put their sleeping bags on. Between the two sleeping bags, there was an electric lantern. A smaller cooler sat to the side with bottles of water and other snacks and such for the two of them sat at one end of the tent, and a portable heater was in between the two sleeping bags to help keep the girls warm during the night.

Once they were finished unpacking and setting up their sleeping bags, Ruby and Weiss walked out of the tent and rejoined the others at the fire pit, watching as Yang started up the fire.

She had organized sticks and logs into the shape of a teepee, placing many leaves inside the wooden structure to act as kindling. Pulling out a lighter from her back pocket, she lit the leaves ablaze. She blew on the small flames to give it oxygen.

In a matter of minutes, the flames grew larger, and eventually they had a full fledged fire going.

"Huh, first try. Stroke of luck, or complete skill?"

Ruby laughed, "Nice job, Yang." she said.

Weiss leaned in so that only Ruby could hear her. "My bet's on it being a stroke of luck." That got a nod in return from her roommate.

"So," Yang asked, "Who wants s'mores? The s'more the merrier!"

The only sound she received was a collective sigh.

* * *

 **AN: Noble: So, couple things I want to address. First, our authors notes are going to change, now that we have our podcast out for you guys to listen to.**

 **Commander: As Noble said the ANs are going to change. From now on if you guys want your usual dose of insanity you can find it on iTunes and on PodBean as Legion205. On that note there is a message there that I hope you all listen to, it may help everyone come to terms with what has happened in regards to the show.**

 **Noble: The actual authors note themselves, will only be featuring myself (since this is on my account) and those who are actually involved in writing the chapter. So with this chapter, it's going to be featuring angelsixtwofive (as an example). Commander is here to talk about the podcast for this week, and because we have a special surprise for you guys.**

 **Angel: Can I tell them?**

 **Noble: No. You can however, talk about the chapter itself and why you wrote it specifically.**

 **Angel: More bragging about myself… great. Well the chapter, as you can tell, was primarily revolved around fencing! Now the reason why myself wrote it is because I myself have been a fencer for four years.**

 **Noble: So this is stuff that you've experienced before?**

 **Angel: Not me exactly. For this typical bout I had to watch a few videos to get the idea of what lefty fencers would do in some situation, since there is an advantage that they do have. But I have experienced some pretty crazy things out on the fencing strips.**

 **Noble: That sounds great! Anyway, onto the next thing I wanted to mention…**

 **...The Legion has grown…**

 ***Insert dramatic RWBY-themed entrance music here***

 **...Introducing, the newest member, of the Legion...**

 ***Angel doing a drum roll***

 **...Jefardi!**

 **Jefardi: Shhhh, I'm making redheads kiss in their natural habitat.**

 **Noble: Jefardi, I totally approve. Anyway, glad you signed the contract. You know, the soul binding one?**

 **Angel: Is the blood sample ready for storage?**

 **Jefardi: ...do you accept tears instead? I found that I have a lot to spare since last weekend...**

 **Noble: That will work perfectly, and it actually works as a good segue into the last thing I wanted to say.**

 **On a more serious note, this last episode had some serious stuff happen. Obviously with this being AU, we have plenty of creative freedom to do what we want with the story. However, I know that I speak for everyone in the Legion when I say that none of us will let what happen in canon affect our own personal stories. So, with that in mind, remember that this is FANfiction for a reason, it's up to our own creative decisions and preferences for what happens, and you can do whatever you wish to do.**

 **In the words of Monty Oum…**

 **Keep Moving Forward.**

 **So, once more to Jefardi...Welcome to the Legion. We are Legion, for we are many.**

 **Thank you for reading this, and we hope you enjoy your weekend!**

 **(Tumbleweed)**


	14. A Sticky Situation

The night air around the campsite was beautiful as the stars shone between the few clouds that littered the sky. The fire that Yang had set up was blazing in the fire pit and the eight residents of room 205 sat around it. The campsite itself, site 205 as Yang dubbed it, was a rather small encampment, but had many other sites strewn around, still far enough away that you could feel isolated. There was a small trail that led from the parking lot, and another trail that lead towards a small lake, the central hub of the hiking trails in the area.

"So, how many s'mores am I making?" Yang asked, collecting the ingredients from a nearby bag she brought along. The group gave several responses, varying from simple nods to gleeful squeals of acceptance. "Welp, looks like I'll need a helper. Anyone wanna... " Yang opened her bag, digging around for something in particular.

Pyrrha looked over, "Everything alright?"

Yang looked back at the group around them until she revealed her stife. "I accidentally forgot the skewers in the car. Anyone want to come with to get them?"

Blake raised her hand after a few seconds, "I'll go with you."

"Yeah, team B going on an adventure!" Yang jumped up, throwing her fist in the air before grabbing Blake by the hand and pulling her towards the parking lot.

The last six attempted to make conversation, before the white haired one rose, drawing the other's attention. "Well, while they're out, I need to deal with some business. Is there anyone else that needs to go?" After a few moments, no one responded, causing Weiss to sit back down. "Nevermind then, I guess."

Ren suddenly jumped up, dusting himself off before responding, "I can go with you, I need to use it as well." Weiss stood back up and nodded to the black haired man, keeping the look of concern from her face.

"That would be nice, thank you."

Ren grabbed a flashlight nearby and tested it out, seeing that it worked well enough, and met up with Weiss. The two made their way down the trail towards the parking lot, diverting down a separate path. This had brought them to an indoor bathroom with lights and plumbing. Even with a call to the wild, it seems that some people didn't want to be far from the luxuries of civilization. Even if it is as terrible as a public restroom.

"Well, I guess this will have to do." Weiss walked to one side, attempting not to quicken her step as she made her way from the safety of the flashlight to the fluorescent lights. She stepped inside, doing her business, and quickly moving to leave again. She pushed open the door, looking around for Ren, but couldn't see him. Leaning out the door as far as she could, looking to the men's room, she heard something moving towards her. The sound came from behind her.

Weiss froze, hearing something coming from around the corner. Her memories raced back to a night so long ago. A strange person, a horrible night, and the rescue of circumstance were all flooding back to her. The sound came closer, the heiress' heart was beating wildly as her breathing quickened.

Weiss slowly backed up, leaving the door open enough to see outside, waiting for whatever was approaching. She stared out the crack of the door, the sound coming closer to the corner that kept them separate. She saw a dark foot cross into her eyesight, and was startled, closing the door and leaning against the wall, panting as she waited for the inevitable.

She stood there, her head clouded with what could happen when they came for her. She looked across the room at the mirror that was on the wall. The reflection she saw was a child, afraid of the unknown. A dark room and a small, white haired child, sleeping peacefully.

Weiss looked away, not wanting to think of that night. She steeled herself and went back to the door. She opened it, and was surprised by the pair of pink eyes before her. "Aah!" The door slammed shut, her thoughts rushing to her sister, who had been on her way to see her that night.

A knock came from the door, causing Weiss to jump, her focus returning to the present as a familiar and friendly voice came from outside the room.

"Weiss, are you ok? I didn't mean to scare you." Ren knocked on the door again, hoping to gain the heiress' attention.

The door slowly opened, a ghostly pale face met the boy, before a soft whisper came from within. "Sorry, I'll be just a moment."

Weiss closed the door, recomposing herself ' _Alright, Weiss, it's just Ren. He was kind enough to come with you. He won't hurt you.'_ After a few moments of breathing exercises she learned from fencing, she opened the door and stepped out.

Ren looked back and saw his white haired roommate, and gave a gentle smile. "Hey, Weiss, I'm sorry, I was just checking on-"

"I understand, and apologize myself. It's getting late, we'd better move."

Ren nodded his understanding before switching the flashlight on again, moving back to the trail they originally came from.

Weiss stuck close to Ren, keeping her eyes on the light before her. After a couple of steps down the trail, Ren turned his attention to her. "Soo… What was that back there?" Silence was the only answer he received. "I understand, I won't bring it up again."

"Thank you."

' _It may not be an answer, but it was a step forward'_ Ren thought, continuing down the trail.

The heiress turned her attention to the black haired boy next to her, "Hey, Ren, I-" Weiss' vision suddenly became black, the world around her morphing together.

Ren knocked the flashlight against his hand. "Well this is just great, we're almost back to camp too." Ren looked back to the girl before her, his eyes adjusting slightly to see that she was stuck still in place. He reached out a hand, gently placing it on Weiss' shoulder. "Weiss, are you ok?"

There was no response, just the sounds of nature around them. A twig snapped in the distance, and Weiss' eyes shot straight in the direction it came from, attempting to find the cause.

Ren shook the heiress, but she just slapped away the hand, a face of absolute terror striking her face. He could hear her breath quickening, her body shaking, and her head twitching at every sound and movement.

Ren cursed under his breath and gripped the flashlight tightly. He moved his other hand to the bottom, twisting open the battery compartment. After the batteries were released, he took both of them out, switching their placement, and closed it up again.

As soon as it was secure, a light jumped forth, illuminating the forest around them. Ren directed the light around Weiss, careful not to shine it in her eyes, and approached her. He grabbed Weiss' shoulder again, wide blue eyes directed towards him as the heiress' face faded to relief.

"Hey, it's ok now." The soft words comforting the heiress as she leaned into the boy's shoulder. Ren shifted his hand to wrap around her shoulders. He could feel Weiss' breath coming more regularly as he gently rubbed her shoulders, keeping silent as she recomposed herself again.

After a minute, Ren removed his arm, allowing Weiss to stand up straight, as he gave her a gentle smile. She looked back the the brunette before her, then down at the ground, embarrassment and shame littering her face. "I'm afraid of the dark because of a childhood experience, and I'm sorry for freaking out." Weiss spat out quickly, a feeling of defeat in her words.

Ren continued smiling, not a cruel one, but a genuine, caring smile. The heiress looked back at the pink eyes, noticing the wellbeing behind them, and smiled back. "Thank you for sharing that with me. I promise not to spread that around if you'd like."

"That would be appreciated," came the reply. They both turned and continued down the trail. "Thank you for helping me." A simple nod was all she received, but it was exactly what she needed.

As Ren and Weiss came closer to the campsite, they could smell marshmallows and hear conversations between their roommates. Entering the campsite, they saw everyone sitting by the fire, Yang and Pyrrha, each with what looked like a skewer in their hands, had two marshmallows sitting over the fire.

Noticing the new arrivals, Yang perked up, smiling at them. "About time, you guys almost missed the best part! Wanna join the fun?"

Weiss shrugged, "Well, it can't be that hard, can it?" She walked forward as Yang turned around, grabbing from a very familiar bag, and handed something to the heiress. She took it and looked horrified, the familiar fencing foil in her hand. Looking back to the fire, she noticed two of her other foils in use, a marshmallow bursting into flames as Yang expertly put it out.

"Ah, perfect, just like that Pyrrha. Who wants the first one?" She offered to the group. Ruby bounced up and down excitedly, her hand waving frantically as she called 'dibs' on it. Weiss watched in terror as Yang leaned the foil against herself, and brought a piece of chocolate in between two graham crackers up to the marshmallow.

"YANG XIAO LONG YOU PUT THAT FOIL DOWN THIS INSTANT!"

* * *

"Yeah, team B going on an adventure!" Yang jumped up, throwing her fist in the air before grabbing Blake by the hand and pulling her towards the parking lot.

Blake followed along as best as she could, but being dragged quickly on an uneven trail wasn't something she was skilled at. "Hang on Yang, slow down."

The golden mane before her whipped around, looking into the amber eyes with a look of concern. "What's wrong, what happened?"

Blake took a moment to regain her footing before addressing the blonde. "Nothing, yet, but you dragging me would have caused me to trip sooner or later."

Yang let go of Blake's hand, now feeling cold from the loss, and scratched the back of her head, a goofy smile spread across her face. "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to. I'm just excited about the s'mores."

Blake couldn't help but return the grin, a small giggle escaping her lips, "It's alright, just don't make a habit of it."

Yang stood up straight, bringing her hand up to her forehead, saluting her roommate. "Sir, yes sir!"

Blake's smile vanished, a glare replacing it, "Alright, that's too far." Blake strode ahead of the blonde, making her way to the parking lot.

Yang relaxed the posture, moving to keep up with her faunus companion, "Blake, wait up, I was just kidding!"

Blake kept moving, attempting to hide the blush in her cheeks as she strode into the darkness. ' _That blonde really knows how to get to me. I swear, she'll be the death of me if I don't keep on my toes.'_

Yang caught up to Blake, stepping lightly as the darkness was setting in. "Man, I can barely see the trail. I should have brought a flashlight."

The faunus sighed, "You didn't think of that before we left?"

Her roommate turned to her, "Hey, I'm sorry I was too excited about hanging out with you to, Woah-"

Blake swung around, throwing an arm around Yang's chest, catching her as she tripped on the trail, falling forward. After a moment, they looked at each other, eyes locking as they understood what happened.

Yang wiggled her eyebrows, giving a flirtatious smile, "My hero."

Blake blushed, quickly righting the blonde before continuing down the trail, "Don't mention it… Ever."

Yang kept a grin as she followed along, finally making it to the parking lot. "Alright, where's my baby?"

Blake turned back to her, "Your what now?"

"My baby!" The blonde repeated, "My camaro, named Bumblebee."

Blake just accepted the answer, not wanting to get into a complex backstory. "Alright, I guess that's the best answer I'll get." She continued looking for the vehicle in question. She spotted Jaune's car, a baby blue Toyota Prius. Looking next to it, she also spotted Ren's dark green Mini Cooper.

"Here you are!" Blake heard the call in the distance. Moving towards the unmistakable voice of Yang, she took a moment to appreciate the car. The metallic orange paint was easily seen in the night, some racing stripes complementing the car.

"So this is your baby?" Blake nodded to the car.

Yang whipped out her keys and unlocked the doors, a smile plastered on her face. "The one and only! I don't know what I'd do without it." Yang opened the front passenger door, looking around and finding nothing. Blake, wanting to help, strated searching through the back, careful not to put one stitch out of place.

With neither of them being successful, Yang had one last option. Opening up the trunk, she saw a bag left in there. "Aha, here you are!" She grabbed the bag and opened it up, revealing Weiss' fencing gear from her tournament. "Aah, damn it! I must've forgotten them, Shit. Well, we can't have s'mores without toasting marshmallows, right? This is the best we got"

Blake shrugged her shoulders, "Yeah, I guess, but are you sure we should use these without permission? They seem expensive."

Yang waved it off, closing the bag and slinging it over her shoulder. "What's the worst that happens. Weiss should be there, so we can ask her. Besides, it's not like we have anything else we can use."

Blake sighed, knowing that this was a bad idea, but accepting the blonde's logic. "Alright, let's take them, it won't hurt to have them out there anyway."

Yang threw her fist in the air, "Woohoo, team B back on track! Or should I say, team Bumblebee?" She wiggled her eyebrows again as she shut the trunk of her camaro.

Blake looked at the girl before her, one eyebrow raised. "Team Bumblebee? But that's the name of your car, you can't use it for this too."

Yang became calm suddenly, gently placing a hand on her shoulder as she stared into the amber eyes before her. A serious atmosphere grew, making Blake uncomfortable. "Don't worry Blake, I've already figured this out. My color is yellow, your color is black. combining that, what does that make?"

Blake thought for a second, still unsettled by the sudden seriousness around them "Uhh, quite a few things."

Yang slumped her head in defeat, removing her hand and walking past her roommate. "Alright, I get it," Yang whined, dragging her feel lazily through the parking lot.

Blake watched this, almost feeling bad for ruining the joke, but knowing that she was still acting. She decided to play along, catching up to the blonde as they met up with the trail back to camp. The faunus fell in stride, reaching an arm around and hooking onto her hip, gently bringing them closer.

Yang looked to her side in shock, then concerned when she saw Blake's sad, almost comical pouty face looking up at her. "I'm cold," was the only thing that was said. Yang regained her usual smile, wrapping an arm around the other girl's shoulder as they walked back to camp together.

As they arrived, they saw Ruby, Jaune, Pyrrha, and Nora all discussing something about mermaids. Looking around, they saw that Weiss and Ren were missing. "Hey, where's Ice Queen and Ren?"

The four looked over, noticing the new arrivals. Ruby piped up first, "Oh, hey, they went to the bathroom. They should be back soon."

Jaune scratched the back of his head, "They should have returned by now, actually."

Yang shrugged, detangling herself from her roommate as she made her way to the campfire. Nora noticed this, and wanted to tease the blonde, "You and Blake seemed comfortable in each other's arms. Anything happen out there?"

Yang froze, turning a bright red as she looked to Blake, a similar color brightening her face. She had to admit, she looked great while getting teased.

' _By the fireside, you can really see how beautiful she-'_ Yang shook her head, clearing the thoughts before addressing the group. "She was cold, I was cold, we figured it would be nice," the blonde glanced off the remark before grabbing the bag from her shoulder. "On a better note, I have just the thing for roasting marshmallows."

With a giant smile, she sat down by the fire and opened the bag, grabbing one of Weiss' fencing foils, and presenting it for the group. A few 'ahs' could be heard as the fire danced off the metal blade.

Ruby shifted towards Yang as Blake sat on the other side of the blonde, looking at the object on display. "Wait a minute, isn't that Weiss'?"

The blonde nodded, "Yeah, I accidentally forgot the skewers, so this is the best we got. Who wants to help, she has, like, four in here."

The young sister looked at the older one, concerned, "Are you sure we can use them?"

Blake peered past to look at Ruby, "That's what I said."

Yang waved them both off, "Like I said, this is what we have. I was going to ask Weiss, but it should be fine. These are made of metal, they'll hold up. " After a few seconds of silence, Yang grabbed the bag and set it behind her. "Alright, someone hand me a marshmallow." Jaune passed the bag of supplies to Yang, who pulled out a giant bag of jumbo marshmallows.

Pyrrha's eyes went wide at the size of both the bag, and the marshmallows within. "Oh my god, those are huge! How are we supposed to eat those?"

the blonde's eye caught the athlete's as she reached behind her and grabbed a foil. Passing it around the circle, from Blake, to Nora, and reaching its destination, she tossed a marshmallow. "Let me show you."

Once both marshmallows were set, they brought the foils to the fire. "Now, the trick is to get the marshmallow low enough to catch fire, but high enough to not burn or melt."

Just then, Weiss and Ren made their way back to the campsite. Yang perked up, smiling at them, "About time, you guys almost missed the best part! Wanna join the fun?"

Weiss shrugged, "Well, it can't be that hard, can it?" She walked forward as Yang turned around, grabbing a foil from the bag, and handed it to the heiress.

Turning back to focus on her marshmallow, she watched as it suddenly burst into flames. Yang immediately brought it closer, blowing it out. "Ah, perfect, just like that, Pyrrha. Who wants the first one?" She offered to the group. Ruby bounced up and down excitedly, her hand waving frantically as she called 'dibs' on it. Yang carefully balance the foil against herself as she grabbed two graham crackers and a piece of chocolate from the bag, slowly bringing it up to the marshmallow

"YANG XIAO LONG YOU PUT THAT FOIL DOWN THIS INSTANT!"

Yang immediately stopped, nearly dropping everything by how ferocious the scream was. She looked back at the heiress, whose eyes were full of hate as the rest of her body was seething with the same emotion.

Weiss flew forward, grabbing the foil away from Yang, followed by Pyrrha. She turned from the fire, carefully trying to remove the marshmallow that was stuck to the blade.

"Hey, you're wasting perfectly good marshmallows." Yang cried, standing up and starting to move towards the white haired girl before Blake stood and stopped her.

Weiss whipped around, the fire still burning through her. "'Perfectly Good Marshmallows?'" Weiss spit every word in disgust. "Do you **Know** how expensive and delicate these foils are? They could probably run your pathetic little family bankrupt! Definitely worth more than your beat up hunk of scrap metal you call a car!"

Yang's eyes grew wide, the lilac reflecting the fire inside, turning them an eerie red. "Hey, how dare you talk about my family like that! They may not be rich, but they're a hell of a lot better than yours!" At that, Weiss took a step back, a tear threatening to fall. "And at least I have a car, I don't need a servant to drive me wherever I go like a child!"

The eight members silently looked at each other, the only sounds being the fire still crackling. Even nature around them was silent as the eyes of Yang and Weiss were locked, neither wanting to back down. Finally, a sniffle could be heard as Weiss turned away and made a quick exit towards her tent.

The campsite remained still, no one wanting to break the silence. Yang slowly sat down, her anger still remained as she stared into the fire. Ruby shifted and stood, looking towards her tent, "I should probably go calm her down."

Blake rose, keeping her eyes away from Yang, "I'll help you."

Ruby nodded at her, "Thanks, I could use some." The two walked over to the tent that Weiss disappeared into. They could hear soft sounds of crying as they saw a silhouette in the tarp meticulously cleaning.

Not wanting to scare her, Ruby gently called out, "Hey, Weiss, it's Ruby and Blake. Can we come in?"

"No," came the short reply.

Blake knelt down by the entrance of the tent, "Then can we talk to you?"

"I've been through enough today, I don't want to talk to anyone else."

Ruby's face turned to concern as she looked at the silhouette of her roommate, "What happened, Weiss?"

They saw the silhouette stop moving, "I said I don't want to talk to anyone."

Ruby knelt next to the faunus beside her, "Weiss, please, you've done so much to help me, I want to be able to help you too."

A deep sigh came from inside, "Ruby, come in. I only wish to speak with you. Sorry Blake."

Blake smiled as she took a step back, "It's ok, Weiss. I understand."

Ruby quickly but carefully made her way into the tent, finding Weiss picking the food from her foils. She sat opposite her, not wanting to get in her way.

After a few moments, Weiss looked up from her work towards Ruby, not appearing the best having been crying just moments before. The younger girl reached past the cooler next to her, grabbing a spare box of tissues before offering one to the other.

Weiss looked at the box in confusion, "Where did that come from?"

Ruby smiled, "It doesn't matter, you need it." the heiress grabbed one and quickly started cleaning herself up. Once she was done, she looked back at her roommate.

"So, um, there's something that happened out in the woods while Ren and I were returning from the bathroom." The young girl looked confused, but allowed her to continue. "Well, the flashlight went out in the middle of the trail back, and… umm…"

Ruby's eyes widened in horror, "He didn't, did he? I never would have thought Ren was capable of That!"

It was Weiss' turn to be confused, before the pieces all clicked together. "Oh my god, No! No no, he did Not try to take advantage of me! What the hell Ruby, why would you think that?"

Ruby raised her hands in defence, "I'm sorry, you weren't saying anything, and I jumped to worse case scenario. Now, what actually happened?"

Weiss sighed, "Well, you see Ruby, I'm actually afraid of the dark, so when the flashlight went out, I panicked."

Ruby slowly nodded her head, "So that's why you have the night light in our room! Well, at least it's brighter than the one I brought. More mature looking too."

"Wait, you brought a night light as well?"

"Heh, yeah, I brought the one that I've been using since I was a child. I never got rid of it, and it was just always there, so it was more of a comfort thing." The young girl blushed and looked away, scratching the back of her head. "I guess I'm still just a kid."

Weiss shook her head, meeting silver eyes again, "You aren't a kid, you appreciate your past. You've said it yourself, college is a big step, especially from someone that skipped their senior year of highschool. Plus, what does that say about me?" This made them both laugh, the tension dying down.

Ruby looked at the entrance of the tent, knowing what they needed to do. "You should probably go talk to Yang."

Weiss sighed, following her roommate's gaze, "I know. I just hope we don't say anything else we both will regret."

The young girl shifted and moved out of the tent, extending a hand out to the heiress. "Come on, if I know my sis, you both will be fine." Ruby gave a bright smile to the heiress who reciprocated, before grabbing the hand and exiting the tent, leaving the foils behind.

* * *

Yang watched Ruby and Blake leave to console Weiss. She knew they were also mad at her, but she didn't want to care. What the heiress said hurt, and the blonde made sure that the pain was sent back. Staring into the fire, however, she could only think of one thing. ' _Blake hates me now. She tried to stop me, but I couldn't hold myself back.'_

She heard footsteps approach her, gently taking a seat next to her. "Hey, Yang, can we talk?" Ren asked, trying to keep his voice low.

Yang understood what he meant and nodded, wanting to know what he had to say. They both stood and took a few paces away from the campsite. The blonde turned, waiting for the Ren to make the first move.

"Yang, I know what she said to you was harsh, but what you said was uncalled for as well."

Yang sighed, "I know, I'm just used to hitting back with whatever's thrown at me."

Ren smiled, "Such a hot head. I'm sure that works well being an older sister, right?

Memories came rushing back to Yang, always defending Ruby from anything, even if it meant getting into a fight. She remembered their uncle Qrow teaching her how to fight when she came home barely able to walk. The blonde copied the smile given, "Yeah, I was always there to save her when she needed it."

Ren nodded, "Well, she needs you now. You need to apologize to Weiss to help Ruby have a better roommate. Can you do that?"

"Yeah. Quick question though, what took you so long to return from your trip with Weiss?"

The boy tensed up, not expecting the question. "Um, uhh, well, let's just say that everything didn't go according to plan."

Yang's eyes widened in horror, "What? What do you mean? What plan? What the hell did you do to her!?"

Ren quickly raised his hands in defence, "Woah, nothing, I didn't do anything! The flashlight went off, and it took me a few minutes to get working again. We couldn't see the path, so we couldn't continue!"

The fist was lowered as the explanation made sense, "Then why the hell would you describe it like that?" Before Ren could answer, they both noticed Weiss and Ruby making their way back to the campfire.

Yang and Weiss both met in the middle, everyone looking around at the other.

Pyrrha piped up before anyone else, "Welp, I'm ready for bed. Jaune, do you mind helping me?

Jaune was snapped out of his trance, looking at the athlete for a moment before understanding. "Oh, yeah, sure."

Ren walked past the blonde and grabbed Nora, "Come on, Nora, it's time for us to get to sleep as well."

Nora pouted but followed along, "Aww, but Ren, I wanna see the epic showdown."

Both Weiss and Yang smiled at that, before Ruby moved forward and placed a reassuring hand on her roommate. She moved around and gave her sister a quick hug, turning back and making her way to her own tent.

The last two stood, looking around, until they both regained their courage, talking at the same time.

"Oh, no, you first, Yang"

"No, I spoke last, you go first."

Weiss sighed, "Alright. I'm sorry for snapping at you and ruining your s'mores. I wasn't having a very good day, and seeing that sent me over the edge. I shouldn't have said what I did about you family, especially since I share a room with one of them. Also, I actually really like your car, even if it's not quite my style.

Yang smiled, "I honestly shouldn't have used your fencing foils as skewers to roast marshmallows, it was uncool of me to do that without permission. I also shouldn't have said what I did about your family. I know nothing about them, personally, and you never talk about them. And I would honestly appreciate someone who would drive me around when needed.

They both stood there in silence, letting the words sink in. Finally, Yang stepped forward, extending her hand. Weiss smiled back at the blonde, stepping forward and accepting the forgiveness.

The handshake was broken, but the bond between them was stronger. Weiss turned around to walk back to her tent, stopping for a moment. "Yang?"

"Yes, Weiss?"

"Please don't touch my stuff unless I give you specific permission to, understand?"

Yang peered at the girl before her, the white hair turning to reveal the same smile she had on her face. "Yeah, no problem Ice Queen."

* * *

 **AN:**

 **Noble: So...that took a lot longer than I thought it would.**

 **Martuna: Eh, it wasn't That bad…**

 **Noble: Wasn't that bad? You wrote out so much that we now need to create a third part to this shit!**

 **Martuna: I didn't write too much. I just took the bullet points and added some adjectives.**

 **Noble: Ok, for context! This was supposed to be part of the last chapter, and that first part was written out so long that we decided to split it up. So, now what was supposed to be one chapter, was split up to three!**

 **Seriously though, great job Martuna for writing this out so well!**

 **Martuna: I'm surprised this turned out as well as it did, since this is my first published fanfiction to date.**

 **Noble: Yeah, you're a natural at this!**

 **Martuna: Just wait for my own stuff to come out!**

 **Noble: Anyway, thanks for tuning in this week. We hope you enjoyed this chapter and I can't wait to see what you thought of this!**

 **This is the Legion, signing off!**

 **(tumbleweed)**


	15. Come Together

The morning was a welcome relief for Weiss, her first night camping turned out to be quite tumultuous. It didn't help that Ruby appeared to be up bright and early that particular morning, her rustling around in the tent being part of the reason Weiss woke up in the first place. How Weiss managed to put up with the little quirks that made Ruby who she was stayed a mystery to the white haired girl. If she were to be honest though, she got used to them, and secretly, she actually didn't mind a few of them.

Noticing Weiss stir, Ruby smiled at her roommate. "Sleep well, Weiss?"

"Ugh," Weiss groaned. "What time is it?"

"It's just about 8 in the morning," Ruby replied as she threw on her boots. "Yang should be making breakfast for us with Ren. Come on out when you want some." Leaving Weiss with no chance for a reply, Ruby unzipped the tent and walked out, sealing the doorway behind her.

Taking that as her cue, Weiss crawled out of her sleeping bag and reached for a change of clothes. That was when she remembered what happened to her fencing blades. She grabbed them and took a closer look upon the metal now that she had the light on her side. The metal was going to need some thorough cleaning, and Weiss didn't know how long it was going to take.

' _Dammit, Yang,_ ' Weiss thought to herself as she put the blades back in the bag she brought in last night. As she changed, her thoughts kept going. ' _This is going to take hours to get cleaned and I'll have to start sooner rather than later._ '

Once she was done getting changed, Weiss walked out of the tent. For the first time, she got a decent look at the campsite itself. All along the outer edges were the five tents that everyone was sleeping in. The one she just walked out of was shared between herself and Ruby, Blake and Yang shared another, Pyrrha had her own tent, Jaune had his own tent, and Nora shared the last tent with Ren.

Weiss figured that with Pyrrha having a broken ankle, she needed her own tent. Nora probably would have used that as an excuse to snuggle up with Ren and kick Jaune into his own tent for the weekend instead of sticking him with Pyrrha. Still, Weiss could only imagine that the peace and quiet Jaune would have gotten as a result was well worth it.

Looking at where everyone else was, Weiss could see that Ruby was right. Yang and Ren were over by the portable stove making a small breakfast for everyone. Blake was sitting over by the fire pit, a book in her hand. Jaune had his eyes focused on a particular part of the treeline while he was drawing something down in his sketch pad. Ruby and Nora appeared to be walking towards the bathrooms. Pyrrha was just coming out of her tent herself, wearing a light hoodie and some sweatpants over the cast from her ankle. Everyone else seemed to be wearing clothes fitting a group that was about to go hiking.

"Smells good," Pyrrha said as she made her way over to the picnic table where Ren and Yang were cooking. "What's on the menu for today?"

"We got some eggs and sausage links cooking right now," Ren said. "Nora wanted pancakes, but I told her to be a bit patient. There are plenty of other times we can get them this weekend."

"Yeah, we can't just _shell_ them out from nowhere!" Yang interjected, though was ignored by everyone.

"I still don't know what it is with that girl and pancakes," Pyrrha pondered as she sat down. "Hell, I'm living with her and it just doesn't make any sense."

"Well, she is a hard _egg_ to crack!" The blonde tried again, though the reaction was the same.

"Some things you just get used to after a while," Ren replied. He noticed Weiss appear at the table, taking a seat across from Pyrrha. "Morning, Weiss. Sleep well?"

"It was alright, I guess," Weiss said. "So, what are we doing today?"

By that point in time, Ruby and Nora had returned to the campsite, and took a seat next to their respective roommates. "We're going hiking today!" Ruby said.

Pyrrha just looked down at the table and shook her head. She knew that this wasn't Ruby's fault, but damn, it was getting a little annoying that everyone seemed to forget about her ankle being broken.

Noticing the shake in Pyrrha's head, Ren immediately interjected. "Well, Ruby, in your excitement, it seems you forgot one major detail to your plan."

"What's that?"

Pointing right at Pyrrha, Ren served her the first plate of food. "Someone isn't in the condition to be able to hike."

"Right, Pyrrha's leg is still _scrambled_ " The lack of reaction starting to irk Yang

"Hello again," Pyrrha said sweetly.

As soon as Ruby realized her mistake, she ran around the table and hugged Pyrrha, drawing a blush from the older red head. "Pyrrha!" Ruby exclaimed. "I'm so sorry! I can't believe that I forgot about this!"

Pyrrha chuckled a little bit and smiled as she wrapped an arm around Ruby. "It's fine, I'm sure you had this plan in mind well before my ankle broke, and just forgot to factor it in."

"Still," Yang chimed in as she slid a plate over to Weiss. "It isn't fair for you that everyone else gets to enjoy a nice hike all day while you sit here by yourself. We don't have to go and hike this weekend."

"Oh no you don't!" Pyrrha countered. "Don't let me ruin your weekend. You guys can still go on your hike today without me, I really don't mind." Pyrrha started to dig into her breakfast before continuing. "Besides, I brought stuff with me that I could do should something like this happen. So realistically, I'm not going to be just sitting here."

"I'll stay with Pyrrha," Weiss interjected, drawing everyone's attention. "What?"

"You're gonna stay behind?" Yang asked.

"Well, someone should stay with her in case she needs help or something," Weiss commented. "Besides, it'll give me a chance to clean the blades you ruined last night."

"I said I was sorry about that," Yang mumbled.

"I know," Weiss admitted. " It's just that our coach is not only a stickler for spotless blades, but something like this actually does affect the performance and balance of it. Plus, they are expensive and need to be handled with care."

"Fair enough, I suppose," Yang conceded. Having handed out the food to everyone, she cooked up one last batch for herself and Ren to enjoy. "You two going to be alright here by yourselves?"

"We should be fine," Pyrrha replied. "When are you guys heading out?"

"Sometime within the hour," Ruby chimed in. "Depends on how long it takes for us to eat and get cleaned up from breakfast."

"Leave some hot soapy water for me to use, and some steel wool if you have any," Weiss requested. "I'll need it to clean my blades."

"Sure thing, Weiss," Ren answered.

"Sounds like an _egg-celent_ idea!"

"Shut up, Yang!" A resounding chorus of yells came to the blonde, though one cackle could be heard behind all of it.

"What, you were _egg-noring_ my jokes." A groan from the group and another chuckle from Nora was all that answered.

* * *

After everyone finished their breakfast, Weiss watched as everyone made their way towards the hiking trail. Aside from Pyrrha, Weiss was left alone at the campsite. In all honesty though, Weiss wasn't about to complain. It was rare that she managed to get some quiet time at all nowadays with the way her roommates behaved, Ruby, Yang, and Nora worst of all.

"Hey, Weiss," Pyrrha called out, breaking the silence.

"What's up?" Weiss asked in response.

"Could you grab my backpack from my tent?" Pyrrha asked. "I would, but I just sat down and-"

"No need to explain," Weiss interrupted. "It's one of the reasons I stayed behind, remember?"

"Well, regardless of why you stayed behind, I'm grateful to you for it," Pyrrha responded as Weiss started to walk over to her tent.

Opening up the door to the inside of Pyrrha's tent, Weiss was surprised to find that Pyrrha had an actual cott that she could use for sleeping at night. Figuring this was probably so she wasn't just laying on the ground every night, Weiss pushed the thought out of her head as she reached over and grabbed her bag from the inside of the tent.

Returning to Pyrrha's side, Weiss placed her bag against the ground right next to Pyrrha's chair. "Thanks Weiss," Pyrrha said.

"No problem," Weiss said. "I guess I have a lot to make up to you for being the reason you're hurt in the first place."

Before Pyrrha reached down for her bag, she stopped once she heard Weiss say what she did. She couldn't believe that Weiss was blaming herself for what happened, even after she specifically told her that it wasn't her fault.

"Weiss," Pyrrha said. "Why do you keep blaming yourself for this?"

"You know why I do," Weiss responded. "If it wasn't for me doing what I did that night, you wouldn't have been distracted. It's my fault you're hurt and couldn't go and spend the day hiking with our friends."

"Weiss, just stop," Pyrrha said firmly. "You and I need to talk about what happened that night, because we never did do that."

Instead of trying to retort what Pyrrha said, Weiss realized that her friend was right. They hadn't really talked about what had happened during that night between the two of them. Weiss had even been avoiding Pyrrha a little bit in the week and a half that had gone by since that moment happened.

"Well, what do you want to talk about," Weiss asked hesitantly.

"First, I only guess that you're afraid of the dark," Pyrrha inferred. "Not going to ask why since it's your business and yours alone. But, my question is why you pulled me down into the bed with you in the first place."

As smart as Weiss was, she really didn't have an answer to this question. She didn't know why it was that she decided to pull Pyrrha down into the bed with her that evening. So, as much as she hated to admit it, Weiss didn't know why she did what she did.

"I don't know," Weiss conceded.

"Well then," Pyrrha contemplated. "Did you at least enjoy your evening spent with me?"

"What?"

"Did you enjoy it?" Pyrrha asked again.

"I..er...well I wouldn't say that I didn't enjoy it...but..uh…" Weiss uncomfortably replied.

Pyrrha smiled and placed her hand on Weiss' shoulder. "It's fine, I think I know what you're getting at."

"Well then why did you bring it up?" Weiss asked.

"Because that was part of what I was so distracted by," Pyrrha replied. Realizing how her words sounded, Pyrrha chose to elaborate on what it was that she was saying. "Well, more specifically, I was worried that it would hurt our friendship. At the same time I was wondering if you enjoyed the evening, and there was some...more personal things on my mind because of it. The more personal stuff is what I was mostly thinking about, so don't take this as an excuse to blame yourself."

"But if it wasn't for me, then you wouldn't have been put into a position to have those thoughts come up!" Weiss proclaimed.

Shaking her head, Pyrrha couldn't help but know that it wasn't as simple as Weiss claimed it was. "Even if we didn't have this happen, those thoughts would have come up for me sooner or later." Pyrrha could tell that got through to Weiss, so she kept going with it. "Honestly, who knows, if it came up at a worse time, I don't even want to know where I would be right now."

"Don't say things like that!" Weiss shouted. Granted, it was a bit more vehemently than Weiss had originally thought, but she wasn't going to correct herself over it. "You don't know what we would do if something bad happened to you."

"Then don't blame yourself for this," Pyrrha pleaded with Weiss. "I don't blame you, so you don't have to either. Ok?"

Weiss took a deep breath and relaxed a bit before responding. "Alright."

"That's what I like to hear," Pyrrha admitted.

"You know, I never did find out how bad your injury is," Weiss pondered.

"Eh, just a fracture in my ankle, nothing that won't heal over time," Pyrrha said. "Doctors said that I was lucky though. Apparently, I almost messed up my Achilles Tendon, now that would have been a huge problem."

"Man, that does seem like you caught a lucky break," Weiss agreed.

"Yeah, but anyway, I'm about to get started on some work," Pyrrha said.

"Call if you need anything," Weiss said as she walked over to her tent and grabbed her fencing blades to clean them up.

As she was doing that though, Pyrrha couldn't help but smile and watch Weiss work. ' _I honestly don't know who's cuter, Weiss, or Ruby...oh well, not gonna worry about that right now. Nothing else really to do besides play some games. I figure I might as well dust off X-Com and play some of that,_ ' Pyrrha thought to herself as she plugged in her headphones and started up the game.

* * *

As the day went on, eventually Ruby and the rest of the gang returned to the campsite after their hike. Weiss managed to get her blades cleaned up after much effort, and Pyrrha not only played games, but also got some of her homework done. Yang had apparently went out to grab some proper skewers to use for s'mores, and returned just in time to enjoy a home cooked meal from Ren. After that, the eight of them all sat around the campfire, chatting with each other and enjoying the moments they shared.

"Wait, that really happened?" Pyrrha asked while the rest of the gang was laughing. Apparently, Yang had slipped and fell during the hike and the first thing that she ended up grabbing was Blake's butt. Yet for some reason, Pyrrha found that hard to believe.

"No, it actually happened," Blake said, though she didn't know exactly how she felt about the event itself.

"I told you I'm sorry that it happened," Yang said.

"You know, I don't blame you, Yang," Nora chimed in. "Blake does have a very nice butt."

"What?" Weiss questioned.

"Nora isn't really controllable," Ren explained. "She'll do what she wants, and will be blunt about it too, even if that includes commenting on a girls looks, or acting on them."

"So, does that mean you've...you know," Ruby stuttered, unsure of what she wanted to say.

"Done stuff with women before? Uh, yeah, I've made out with chicks, had sex with other chicks, I could go on and on about it," Nora bragged.

"Oh really, what was the last chick that you had done anything with?" Yang asked, hoping to get some dirty details out of the bubbly ginger.

Nora had to think on it for a second, before she got her answer. Once she remembered what it was, she instead knew better than to say anything on that regard, mostly because of who it involved.

"Uhm, well, you know...there are uh...some things that…" Nora stammered.

"What?" Ren questioned. "Why are you so afraid of talking about this?"

"Because it was me."

Hearing Pyrrha speak up was a surprise. Hearing that it was her that Nora was talking about was even stranger. "After my ankle got broken, let's just say that I was in a state where I was questioning things, and so Nora, in a very Nora-esque fashion, decided that it was a smart idea to start making out with me in order to help me figure things out. Well, it worked, so now I guess it turns out I'm at least bi."

"Wow," Yang admitted. "That's certainly a tale."

"I'm glad that I can talk about this now," Nora said. "You have no idea how much I wanted to talk about it, but wouldn't because I didn't want to hurt your feelings."

"I know, but hey, you guys deserve to know," Pyrrha admitted. "It's just like you said, Nora, if you thought differently, then you guys wouldn't be my real friends. Since you care for me still, then it's all fine."

Weiss remained silent the entire time. She was surprised that Pyrrha turned out to be the way she was. It put a whole new spin on the conversation from earlier. Not only that, but it started to raise a couple questions for herself. ' _What does this mean for me? Why do I feel different about this now that we're bringing it up?_ ' Weiss thought to herself. ' _I never really considered this before, but what if I am different? How would I know?_ '

While Weiss was off in her own mind, everyone else was speaking up about this. "Damn, that's pretty brave of you, Pyrrha," Blake said. "If I were honest, I don't think I'd be as brave as you were just now. Granted I know now that I don't have to worry, but it's different because I'm not doing this out of the blue like you did."

"Wait, so you're…" Yang began, letting the question die before it could be finished.

"Yes, I guess you could say that I'm bisexual," Blake responded.

"Don't think that you aren't brave for bringing it up around us," Pyrrha said. "Hell, you could have said nothing and we wouldn't have known."

"I...really appreciate that," Blake replied.

As the rest of the night went on, the gang all had a grand time talking to each other about all different kinds of things. It was a great moment for them, since they could all just talk with each other without having to worry about anything else, no other responsibilities took priority. It was a chance for them to all just hang out and talk, a moment that they would all cherish for a long time.

* * *

 **AN: Noble: Ok, well, now we can finally move on to other things!**

 **Peace: And it's about damn time too. When did we turn this to slow burn?**

 **Noble: Well, do you know how long it's going to take for the main pairing to get together? Too fucking long if you ask me.**

 **Peace: Way too long. But it shall be worth it in the end. And I suppose we can wait.**

 **Noble: Yeah, it certainly will be. Hopefully you guys don't go insane trying to figure out what the pairings are. Also, did you like how I wrote out Pyrrha's "confession", as well as Weiss beginning to think about her own preferences?**

 **Peace: Sure, just completely ignore Blake. She matters too damn it!**

 **Noble: I know, and it is a big thing for her as well! At this point though, we're going to be delving into THAT particular topic in some upcoming chapters. Not going to say what, but be prepared for drama to start going down!**

 **Peace: Okay, drama is always going down, let's just admit that. But it will be fun none-the-less.**

 **Noble: That it will. Anyway, thanks for tuning into this week's chapter. I hope you guys enjoyed the update and stay tuned because the real fun starts soon.**

 **Peace: And don't forget to check out the Legion205 twitter and podcast! Or do, it might keep you sane. Later!**

 **Noble: This is the Legion, signing out!**

 **(Tumbleweed)**


	16. Bees on a Roof

**AN: Noble: This update is coming early die to the fact that I went out drinking with sylver tonight and I plan on passing out as soon as we get back to her place. Hope you enjoy this early meep as a result.**

* * *

Twas a peaceful day for the students at Patch University as they minded their day, going to their designated classes while stirring chatter with their friends or roommates. But today was not a good day for one Yang Xiao Long, and the anger emitting from her was beginning to turn this peaceful day into a hellish nightmare.

The morning went as peaceful as could be expected, but it was the calm before the storm. Yang herself was getting ready to head out for a joyride after a stressful day of classes. It would be the first time going through the town that was nearby, and she was very keen on wanting to explore it. And with that thought in mind, she proceeded to finish changing into clothing of a more casual manner. After she was done, she grabbed a set of car keys that were on top of her dresser and went out of her room. Pyrrha, Ruby, and Weiss were going to be back in the dorm soon, leaving Yang the only one there right now, which made her decide that leaving a note of her absence would be a good idea. The last thing she would want is for Ruby to look for her as if she were the victim in a missing persons case.

After writing her short message down on a sticky note, she placed it on the front of the refrigerator that occupied the kitchen portion of the dorm, where just about anyone can see it if they were to enter the area. With that done, Yang went to the door that led out of the dorm, opened it, and walked out, closing it behind her with a soft thud and click being heard as the door fully closed. ' _Finally. Let's get going.'_ She thought and sighed in relief as she traveled down the stairs to the first floor, and exited the dormitories. The day ahead of her was just beginning, and she could not wait to get out of campus.

The first part of her plan is to get to her car, Bumblebee, which was parked in the school parking garage near the dormitories. Yang went into a light jog, shivering slightly at the cool breeze that blew past her as she went to her destination. After a few moments, she made it to the parking garage that contained her vehicle. It was a fairly large parking garage due to the amount of students that could actually drive, but she knew that her vehicle was on the first floor of the building. She always knew where her precious _baby_ was _._ It was a 1969 Camaro SS with a metallic orange body paint with black racing stripes stretching from the hood of the car to the trunk. There was also black, berlin-style stripes on the sides of the vehicle, making it sport a more racey theme to the vehicle itself. Yang couldn't help but shudder at the imagery of her beloved ride. She made sure that it was well-cared for, even making Ruby worried at times when she spent hours tending to the vehicle in a single day. To her, though, all those hours were the reason why the ride was so smooth and dreamy. There's nothing else that can compare to her most-prized possession… well, except for one thing.

It had to do with a certain someone she was rooming with. At first, she seemed a bit hostile thanks to how Yang gave her… well… seductive first-impression to her, but she managed to turn around her roommate's opinion of her with a book. After that day, it made her feel like she wanted to do her best not to disappoint her. ' _Blake Belladonna… I would do anything to make you happy.'_ The blonde stopped dead in her tracks at the thought. Was she falling for her? ' _Gah! What am I doing? There's no way we'd ever get along like that.'_ She let out a sigh. ' _Just find your car, Yang, before you end up daydreaming.'_ With that ending to her thoughts of her roommate, Blake, she went back to looking for her Bumblebee.

A few moments passed, then a few more moments, until she realized that more than fifteen minutes passed and there was still no sign of her car. She even tried to use a button on her car keys that made Bumblebee lock its doors, since it would make a sound when she double-clicked it, but there was no noise echoing throughout the parking garage.

' _Oh hell no, someone did NOT touch my baby!_ ' Yang thought to herself as she furiously made her way back to her room. She was prepared to talk with her mom and ask if she could use a satellite to locate her car for her. Yang didn't want to do that, but desperate times called for desperate measures. Her eyes appeared to be blood red as she stormed her way back to the dorms, the fury she emanated was enough to force people to clear out of her way without a second thought.

Once she got back to the dorm, Ruby, Weiss, and Pyrrha were surprised by Yang's sudden entrance. "Everything alright, sis?" Ruby asked out of curiosity.

"I'm not in the mood right now, Ruby!" Yang shouted out of anger, nearly punching a wall. "Someone took Bumblebee!"

Upon hearing that Yang's car was stolen, Ruby immediately pulled her phone out and sent a text. "Alright, I'll let mom know what happened, hopefully she can find it," Ruby said. She knew that in Yang's current state, the girl was most likely unable to handle talking with people.

As if on cue, someone decided it would be a smart idea to call Yang's cell. Pulling her phone out, Yang was going to try and let the person down gently that they were calling at a bad time. Seeing that it was Blake who called, Yang took a deep breath before answering, just to be on the safe side.

"Blake, I'm really sorry, but you've called at a bad time," Yang immediately said without giving Blake a chance to speak. "I'll call you back later when I'm not ready to murder someone." With that, Yang hung up the phone before taking a couple of deep breaths to calm herself even further than before.

Ruby then felt a vibration from her own phone. Expecting it to be her mom, Ruby was surprised when it turned out to be Blake that was calling her. "Hey Blake, sorry about my sister," Ruby said, apologizing for Yang. "Yeah, apparently someone…" Pausing to hear what Blake had to say, Ruby was more than glad to hear her friend come in with some much needed news.

"Wait, really? You're looking at it now?" Ruby asked, her excitement overtaking her. "I'll put Yang on the phone right now, then." Ruby walked over to her sister and held the phone up to Yang. "Blake found your car."

"WHAT?! WHY DIDN'T SHE SAY SO IN THE FIRST PLACE?!" Yang shouted.

"You didn't really give her a chance to," Weiss cut in. "Kinda hard to explain when you don't get a chance to say one syllable."

Giving the girl she often referred to as princess a glare, she grabbed the phone out of Ruby's hands and held it up to her ear. "I'm told you know where my car is?"

"Are you going to interrupt and hang up on me again?" Blake asked, rightfully being a bit disgruntled over Yang's attitude just a minute ago.

"I'll apologize after I have my car safe and sound, and the MOTHER FUCKERS WHO TOOK MY CAR HAVE THEIR JAWS BROKEN OFF!" Yang replied, getting more and more vociferous as she went on.

"Look, I'm outside the library right now, staring directly at your car," Blake said, only to be received with the sound of the phone on the other end being bobbled all over the place. "Yang?"

"Hey, it's Ruby again," Ruby replied, surprising Blake a bit. "Yang ran out the door, so I'm assuming she knows where her car is."

"Well then, I'll just wait until she gets here," Blake said. "Hopefully she doesn't go ballistic at what happened."

As Yang made her way out of the dorm, she could begin to see a few students making their way in the same direction as her. She thought this was mere coincidence, pushing past most of them in her haste. She realized as more and more students were in front of her, they were all going to the same place. She rounded the last corner, skidding to a halt as she took in the spectacle before her.

Sitting on the roof of the library was her metallic orange 1969 Camaro SS, in perfect, pristine condition. In front of the library stood a massive accumulation of students, some trying to get to their destination. Most of them, on the other hand, were absorbed by the phenomenon, many taking pictures to post online.

Yang's left eye began to twitch and some of the people around her noticed. Those who were taking pictures and had noticed the blonde clenching her fists backed away slowly, while trying to warn the others that she was about to explode.

Yang stomped a bit closer and more people started to notice. "WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS SHIT?! WHY THE FUCK IS MY CAR ON A FUCKING ROOF?!"

The students were all aware of her at that point, and they backed away from the seething blonde. They put their phones away in fear of Yang beating the ever loving crap out of them for taking pictures of the strange situation.

Blake walked over to Yang and looked up at the car. "Yang…I found your car."

"No shit, Captain Obvious!" Yang stomped her foot against the ground. "How the fuck did this even happen?!"

"Okay, first off, try to calm down already. I get it…This isn't exactly a good scenario for you, but we'll find a way to get it down." Blake assured.

"Ugh! Why the fuck would anyone go through the trouble of putting my car on a roof?!" Yang turned and noticed some of the students were staring. "And what the hell are you all staring at?! Unless you shits are involved with this, then get the hell out!"

Most of the students were afraid for their lives, so they ran off, while others shrugged and walked away from the scene.

Jaune walked over and looked up at the car. "Oh…so this is what Yang was yelling about." He reached into his pocket and grabbed a candy bar. "Yang…eat a snickers."

Yang turned to the blonde. "Why the fuck should I eat a goddamn snickers?!"

"Cause you get yangry when you're hungry." Jaune grinned at his pun.

Yang's eye twitched again and she grabbed the boy's collar. "I'm only going to say this once…There is a time and place for puns…And this is not one of them, you little shit!"

Jaune started to panic and fell to the ground when Yang dropped him. "U-Uh…Should I go?"

Blake helped him up. "Yeah…I say you should after that." She turned to Yang. "Maybe we should have a rule for not threatening and scaring the shit out of our friends."

Yang watched Jaune run off and rolled her eyes. "If he thinks he could try and use a pun on me when I feel like killing people, then no shit I'm gonna scare his scrawny ass off."

Blake raised her hand to her head in disappointment and heard Yang's phone go off. "You gonna get that, or what?"

Yang pulled her phone out and saw that it was her mom calling. She took a breath and answered it. "Mom, I'm like…not even in the best of moods right now. Could you maybe call another-?" Yang was cut off.

"Honey, please relax. I'm trying to tell you that your car is on the roof of the library and-." Summer got interrupted at that point.

"Yes, I know already…I'm staring at it now." Yang said.

"Oh, well if you let me finish, I was going to say that I know exactly who put it up there." Summer said and Yang's eyes widened.

"WHO TOUCHED MY CAR?!" Yang shouted.

A few seconds passed without a response from Summer. Yang was confused and angry at that, but she waited. "Okay…Ow, thanks for that, honey. My ears really needed that."

Yang sighed. "I'm sorry, but I need to know the name of the piece of shit that put my car on the goddamn roof."

"I'll let you know who did it, if you promise to stay calm." Summer tried dealing with Yang.

Yang took a breath. "Fine…I'm calm."

"It seems like it was a boy by the name of Cardin Winchester. He's at the football field at the moment. Now, are you going to stay-?"

"That son of a bitch! I'll fucking shank him!" Yang shouted and Blake smacked her upside the head. "Ouch! The hell, Blake?!"

"Shouting to the heavens that you'll be shanking someone, when you're on the phone with your mother, who works for the NSA…Yeah, let that sink in for a few seconds." Blake explained how dumb Yang was being.

Yang blinked twice and pulled her phone away. "Um…Woops…" She brought her phone back to her ear. "M-Mom…You didn't hear that…right?"

"Yang…I may have to make you go to anger management classes." Summer suggested.

"N-No! I will not be going to those annoying anger management classes! They're boring as-!" Again, Blake smacked her in the back of her head.

"And this is why she's suggesting you go to them…idiot." Blake rubbed her palm, since hitting Yang's head actually hurt.

Yang groaned and rubbed the back of her head. "Mom, we'll talk about this later." She turned to Blake. "And you, stop smacking me upside the head! You can just smack my arm..." She then muttered the next part. "Or my ass…if you wanted to."

Blake's ears perked up at that. "Um…What?"

"Hmm? Oh nothing, I was just…uh…you know, saying that you could've just hit me somewhere else instead of the back of the head." Yang tried to play it off. "Now then…Mom, I'll call you back."

"Honey…please don't-." Summer didn't get to finish, since Yang ended the call.

"You're gonna go kick his ass, aren't you?" Blake questioned, even though she knew damn well what Yang's intentions were.

Yang cracked her knuckles. "Oh hell yeah I am. That moron really thinks he's about to get away with putting my fucking car on a roof!"

"I'm not coming with you to get into trouble for assault." Blake walked away from the blonde. "Don't actually kill him!" She warned.

"I can't make any promises!" Yang called out as she started running towards the football field.

* * *

"Cardin! What are you doing?!" Cardin's coach shouted. "That's the fourth time you missed the ball! Get it together!"

Cardin groaned and walked over to pick up the ball. "Alright already…you don't need to beat me over the head for it." Cardin muttered under his breath. As he started walking over to his coach, he was hit in the back of the head by one of Yang's shoes and fell over from the surprise pain. "What the fuck?!" He grabbed the back of his head and looked around. "Who threw that?!"

Yang walked up to Cardin and kicked him in the ribs. "Mother fucker! You really thought you could put MY car on the roof and I wouldn't find out?!"

Cardin grunted in pain and rolled away from the blonde. "What the fuck is your problem, you crazy-?!"

"Hey! What's going on here?!" The coach shouted.

Cardin got up and Yang ignored the coach. "You! I will end you, Cardin!"

Cardin backed away slowly. "I-I don't know what you're talking about with a car, so why don't you-?"

Yang shut him up when she decked him right in the face. Cardin fell onto his back and held his eye in pain. "You think that's bad?! Well I'm not done with you yet!"

Cardin was writhing in pain and wanted to get away from the blonde.

Before Yang could do anything else to Cardin, his coach ran over and got between the two. "That's enough! What the hell is going on here?"

"He stole my car and put it on a fucking roof!" Yang fired back.

Cardin groaned. "You don't have any proof, bitch."

"Oh really?" Yang smirked and sent a text to her mother. "You just wait your sorry ass there." After a few moments, she got what she need. "I got enough proof, idiot. You know what? I'm actually gonna use that proof to charge you for grand theft auto."

"Y-Yeah right…You still don't have proof, so-." Cardin was cut off when Yang showed him the video of him breaking into her car. He was in shock at that, as well as his coach.

"So, still think you're safe, moron?" Yang pulled her phone away and crossed her arms in success of shutting the jock up.

"Y-You still attacked me. I can still press charges against you and-."

"If you don't press charges against me, then I won't press charges against you." Yang simply said.

Before Cardin could respond, his coach spoke up. "Fine, you and Cardin here won't press charges against each other, but I better not see you assaulting another one of my players around here, or anyone else. Do I make myself clear?"

"As long as this jackass doesn't go near my car again, then I can agree to that." Yang said.

"Alright…You can go now." The coach said as he helped Cardin up.

Yang smirked and walked away from the two as she called up her mom with her phone in one hand, and her shoe in the other. "Hey, mom. Thanks again for sending me that video. The idiot had nothing to say after I showed him that. And he isn't even going to press charges for me kicking him in the ribs, throwing my shoe at the dick, and punching him in the face."

"Yang…You are one lucky son of a bitch. You know that, right?" Summer stated.

Yang raised an eyebrow. "Why would you say that about yourself?"

Summer sighed. "Anyways…How are you even going to get your car down from the roof?"

Yang froze on the spot. "FUCK!"

* * *

 **AN: Noble: Well, this certainly has been a long time coming on this chapter. Believe it or not, this was supposed to be written out much earlier in the story, however since it was one of those things that could be moved around to any place in the timeline, it was easy for us to move when we knew that it wasn't ready. Don't you agree Shadow?**

 **Shadow: Before I answer that, know that this is the first thing I've written for this collab...and it was Yang being pissed to all hell...I enjoyed it very much. And she really does need a snickers.**

 **Noble: She really does need a snickers right about now. But, hey, at least we managed to get two new things to Meep about.**

 **Shadow: Yes, yes we do. Noble is talking about two new stories. The first is Noble's new story that is titled, Deliverance: Book 1-The Rise. And the second is a new collab story that is written by Phoenix Commander and I that is titled, Pedigree. You guys should check it out if you get the chance. Both are just too great to pass up.**

 **Noble: That they are. Anyway, hopefully you guys enjoyed this week's chapter. It certainly has been a fun one to write out. Remember to follow/fave/review at your own discretion. Thank you, and enjoy your weekend.**

 **(tumbleweed)**


	17. Forget Something?

**AN: Noble: Quick thing before the chapter! Saturday 3/19 (tomorrow) starting at 2 PM EST, I will be streaming MASS EFFECT! I plan on doing a playthrough of the entire trilogy, and I will be starting this on the Legion twitch account. If you want to watch, then just tune in at that time on twitch and search for Legion205. We will also be posting the link on our twitter page when I start streaming, so if you can't find us that way, just search for us through that!**

 **Hope to see you guys for the stream!**

* * *

Ruby was feeling a little bit nervous, though there wasn't much she could do to alleviate that problem. In a little bit, she was supposed to be meeting with the head coach of the track team so that she could show what she was capable of, and hopefully earn a spot on the team itself. Fortunately for her, she was done with classes for the day, and the meeting wasn't going to take too much time out of her schedule, so everything was going to work out.

So long as she kept her nerves in check, everything really would work out. Luckily for her, the only other person in the dorm was her sister, Yang. Yang had promised to at least leave with her so that Ruby wouldn't make it to the field alone, though she was heading over to the rec center nearby to do her usual workout.

It had seemed like everyone ran out of the dorm in a pretty intense fashion today. Nora literally dragged Ren out to get some pancakes for breakfast before classes, which didn't surprise Ruby one bit. Blake helped Pyrrha out of the room, since they had a class together in the morning. Since she had gotten a broken ankle recently, everyone had been doing everything they could to help Pyrrha out, but it made the most sense for Blake to be there, in this case.

Jaune left the room soon afterwards, and almost immediately after Jaune left, Weiss practically ran out of the room spouting something about making it to an important meeting on time. Despite sitting in the common room as everyone was leaving, Weiss' was by far the strangest. Still, she got a hello from everyone, even Weiss, and now all that was left was herself and Yang.

"Yo, Rubes," Yang called out to Ruby. "You done staring at the wall?"

Ruby turned to see that her sister was ready to head to her workout. "Yeah, I'm ready," Ruby replied. "Was just thinking about how everyone seemed to rush out the door today."

"Yeah, well that's what happens with college," Yang mentioned. "Everyone seems to be busy all the time. Probably why we haven't gotten to spend much time with Penny."

"Well, that's also because she has clubs that she does, and being a Chemical Engineering major takes up a lot of her time as well," Ruby replied. "And I'm dual majoring so that doesn't help either."

"That's college for you," Yang mentioned as the two of them walked out of the dorm. With the door locked behind them, Yang turned down the hall leading to the front door.

"You have your key, right?" Ruby asked, patting on the pockets of her track pants and her jacket. "I think I left mine in my room by accident."

"Oh don't worry about it, Ruby," Yang said. "By the time we get back, someone will have already opened up the door for us."

Somehow, Ruby just knew deep down, Yang had just cursed their luck.

* * *

Yang was pleased with her workout; it was one of the best parts of her day. As she walked back into the dorm, she reached for the front door to her room without a care in the world. It wasn't until she failed to open the door, and nearly walk into it, did Yang figure out something was up.

Jiggling the handle, Yang found that the door wasn't opening up like it normally was around this time. ' _Well that's weird,_ ' Yang thought to herself. ' _Usually Jaune, Ruby and Ren are back by this time of day. I know Ruby has that meeting with the track coach, but what could have happened to stop the other two from coming back on time?_ '

As she finished her thought, Yang noticed Jaune walk up to the room. "Oh, hey Yang, sorry I'm late." Jaune said once he saw her outside the door. "Class got held up for a few minutes while we were picking up the materials we used for our art pieces. You just get back from your workout?"

"Yeah, though I forgot my key in the room," Yang mentioned. "You mind?"

"No problem," Jaune said as he reached into his pocket for his key. The one problem that Jaune ran into as he fished through his pockets, the keys weren't on him.

Yang noticed the increasingly frantic searching, and she immediately sighed. "Let me guess, you don't have your keys either?"

"I could've sworn that I had them when I left this morning!" Jaune said as he gave up on trying to search through his pockets. "So, now what?"

It was at that point that Ruby showed up next, a smile on her face as well. That is, until she saw Jaune and Yang standing outside of the dorm room with unhappy expressions. Immediately, she knew what it was that had happened. "Yang, I told you this would happen," Ruby said once she reached them.

"Wait, you don't have your key either?" Jaune asked.

"I told Yang that I left it in my room, and asked her if she had her key to the room," Ruby replied. "I knew you should have grabbed yours."

"What?" Yang questioned. "Usually someone is back at the room by now and the doors are unlocked, yourself included! It's not my fault that the doors are usually open for me by the time I get here. I blame Jaune here for not having his key and getting us all locked out."

"What do you mean by 'we're locked out?!'"

It was easy for everyone to tell who was talking by the voice that called out to them in anger. Weiss looked at the group after just arriving and was already yelling at them.

"Relax, Ice Queen," Yang said. "Ren should be back in a few minutes with his key, so that he can unlock the door for us. Besides, why do you not have your own key?"

"I had a meeting that I was going to be late for and needed to leave almost immediately," Weiss reacted.

"So that's why you left in such a hurry this morning?" Ruby asked. When Weiss nodded in response, Ruby smiled at her. "What was the meeting about?"

"I was talking with my advisor about classes that I would need to consider taking next semester," Weiss responded. "The reason I forgot my key was because I was going to be late, and I didn't want to be."

"Ah," Ruby contemplated. "I should probably meet up with my advisor soon so that I can get my classes scheduled."

Before anyone else could say anything else, Ren and Nora showed up together. Nora had a happy expression on her face, while Ren looked like he was tired, though he always looked tired most days. "Hiya!" Nora shouted once she reached the rest of them. "How was everyone's day?"

"Was going well until we realized that we got locked out of the room," Yang mentioned. "Please tell me you have your keys."

"Nora dragged me out of the room before I could grab mine," Ren said, knowing exactly what was going on. "So I don't have them with me, and I doubt Nora has hers either."

"Well excuse me for wanting those free pancakes!" Nora shouted. "They may not be as incredible as yours, but god dammit I wanted free pancakes!"

"Nora," Jaune intervened. "Please calm down, we don't need to get in trouble any further."

As the group started to argue back and forth about who was at fault, Blake and Pyrrha made their way back up to the room. Pyrrha was still having a hard time with her ankle, so the walk up the stairs for her was not fun.

"So I'm sitting in class, and I kid you not, there is this girl in class with an orange for breakfast," Pyrrha said to Blake as they were walking up to the dorm. "Only thing was, instead of eating the orange like a normal person, she was taking pictures of it."

"Wait what?" Blake asked.

"I'm dead serious, this really happened," Pyrrha responded. "I'm sitting there the entire time, watching this happen, and all I could think was 'why the fuck are you taking pictures of an orange? It's an orange for god's sake, just eat the damn thing already!'"

Before Blake could reply to what Pyrrha said, the two of them noticed that everyone was sitting outside of the dorm. "What the hell is going on?" Blake asked.

"People forgot their keys, so we're all locked out of the room," Ruby said in response. "I'm guessing Pyrrha doesn't have hers due to her still being injured, but do you have your own Blake?"

"One second," Blake fished her hands through the pockets on her jeans, only to come up with nothing. "I swore I had my keys earlier, where the hell are they?"

"Oh dear god, not you too," Yang groaned in defeat. "Now we're all locked out!"

"Um, what?"

Everyone turned towards the sound of the new arrival, Reese. She looked at all of them with the most confused face, hoping that things weren't bad. "Did you say that you're all locked out?"

"That would be the accurate summary, yes," Jaune said in response.

With a look of dread on her face, Reese knew that there was something that could be done. "Oh great," She said as she turned around and fished out her phone. "You guys just wait there, and don't crowd the hallway. People still need to pass through, and I do not want to hear about any traffic jams because of you. I'm going to get help opening the doors."

Everyone let out a collective sigh of relief after hearing the news, though they didn't know that it wasn't going to be an entire relief.

"So, what was that about a chick and an orange?" Yang asked, breaking the silence.

* * *

By the time Reese returned, everyone was chatting amongst themselves in the hallway. It was one of the first times they all got to just hang out together, no real problems that needed their attention. The camping trip gave them a chance to really learn about each other, and while it was a welcome moment, it was one that was rare to the group as a whole. Someone was always busy with something, and because of that, the moments where all eight of them got a chance to hang out was welcomed.

Alongside Reese, however, came a fuming Professor Goodwitch, a rolled up newspaper clenched tightly in her hands. Upon her appearance, the hallway got dead silent, a sense of doom overshadowing the residents of 205.

"Am I to understand that all eight of you managed to get yourselves locked out of your room?" Goodwitch asked them. Receiving nods in response, Goodwitch shook her head and walked to unlock the door. "Everyone better take a seat in the common room. I need an explanation for this."

Obeying immediately, the group took a seat in the common room, leaving enough room for Pyrrha to place her leg up on the couch comfortably. Once everyone was seated, Goodwitch stood in front of everyone. "Reese, you may go," Goodwitch said at first. "I will handle things from here." Reese immediately took the hint and shut the door behind her, leaving the eight occupants of 205 to their fate at Goodwitch's hands.

"So, who wants to start first?" Goodwitch asked, leaving the floor for anyone to respond.

"Well," Jaune said to start off. "I guess, first off, we can all agree that we thank you for...taking the time out of your obviously busy day to-"

"Is this an explanation of how you were locked out?" Glynda glared at Jaune

"Umm, not quite, but-" Jaune stammered

"Then silence, unless…." Glynda snapped, punctuating her point with a crack of her newspaper against the wall, interrupting Jaune.

"Bu-but I just wanted to show-"

Jaune was, of course, cut off by the sheer force of the glare Glynda kept leveled on him.

Over on a different part of campus, in the office of the school's headmaster, Professor Ozpin was sipping his coffee when he suddenly stopped moving. His eyes went wide as if he felt something drastic happen.

"There has been a disturbance," Ozpin whispered to himself. "Glynda just used the newspaper."

Back in room 205, Jaune was surprised at the sheer power of the newspaper that was held in Glynda's hand. Reeling from the hit Glynda landed against the wall, Jaune didn't know what it was that Goodwitch was looking for in a response.

"Why don't we try this again," Goodwitch stated. "Why were you all locked out of your room? Miss Rose, let's start with you."

Hearing Goodwitch call her name, Ruby stumbled a bit before her brain managed to connect the dots leading her to the answer. "Well I, er, had a meeting with the university's track coach in order to hopefully qualify for the team. I forgot my key in my room once I got out the door, and hoped that someone would be back with the door unlocked by the time I got back."

"Fair excuse, though I would advise you to always keep your key on you," Goodwitch replied. "Miss Xiao Long, how about you?"

"Well, usually people are already back by this point with the door opened," Yang said, managing to get her answer out easier than Ruby did. "I come from the rec center, and in all honesty, I don't trust leaving my dorm key in the rec center's locker room."

"Fine," Goodwitch said. "Now, how about you Miss Schnee?"  
"I was in a rush when I left earlier today because I had a meeting with my advisor about classes for next semester," Weiss said smoothly. "In my haste, I forgot to grab my key."

"As with Miss Rose, please try to bring your key with you everywhere you go," Goodwitch said. "Miss Nikos, what is your excuse?" Instead of a verbal response, Pyrrha simply looked over to Goodwitch, and pointed to her broken ankle. "I see. Mister Ren?"

Pointing immediately at Nora, Ren began to explain. "Well, Nora wanted to get some of those free pancakes that were being served today. In her rush, she forgot to grab her own key, and made me unable to grab mine as well."

"Miss Valkyrie, please," Glynda said before Nora even had a chance to respond. "If you're going to forcibly drag someone away, please understand that people are going to need to grab the necessities beforehand." All that was left was Blake and Jaune, who was still recovering from the threat of the newspaper hit, to explain why they didn't have their keys on them. "Miss Belladonna."

"I was helping Pyrrha get around, and while I thought I had my key on me, I can only surmise that I was mistaken," Blake said in response. "This won't happen again."

"Please be sure that is the case," Glynda said as she turned towards Jaune. "Mister Arc, if you would please explain why you do not have your key with you."

Jaune just sat there, afraid to say his answer. "Um...I uh…was distracted by Weiss?"

As if she knew the answer already, Glynda walked over to Weiss and made as if to hand her the newspaper, "Would you like to do the honors, Miss Schnee?"

"Thank you Ms. Goodwitch, I'd love too." Weiss said coldly, before rounding on Jaune with the newspaper, sending Jaune collapsing to the floor, and sending another wave of terror screaming through Professor Ozpin in his office.

"Someone let Mister Arc know that he should not forget to bring his key with him wherever he goes," Goodwitch said before making her way over to the door. "That goes for everyone. I do not want this to happen again." Leaving it at that, Goodwitch walked out of the room and left everyone to their own doings. Everyone started to make their way into their individual rooms after that, Ren and Nora dragging an unconscious Jaune into a corner, and Ruby helping Pyrrha across the common room.

* * *

As Blake walked into her room, she placed her bag onto the bed and started to retrieve her books. Upon doing so, she noticed something out of the corner of her eye. Reaching into the bag, she fished out the object that had caught her eye.

She knew what it was immediately after grabbing the object. It was none other than her room key, in the bottom of her backpack that she was using. Blake felt mad at herself for not even thinking of checking her bag. Her face and upper body fell downward onto her bed and she groaned into the mattress; her cries of frustration muffled by the blankets.

Noticing Blake's posture, as well as the frustrated groan that she let out, Yang looked over and saw the key that Blake held in her hands, chuckling to herself a bit as she walked over to her roommate. "So, uh, I guess that was there the whole time?" Yang asked once she was next to Blake.

"Yep."

"And, so we could have easily avoided that whole lesson from Goodwitch if you had noticed it?" Yang asked again.

"Yep."

"Well then," Yang said, giving Blake a hug from behind. "I won't tell anyone about this, it'll be our little secret, ok?"

Sending a blush and feeling of strangeness through Blake, she melted into the hug that her roommate was giving to her. "I like the sound of that."

* * *

Once Ruby had returned Pyrrha to her room, she made her way back to her own, setting her stuff down on her bed. She could tell from the tension in the room, and Weiss mumbling incoherently to herself, that the heiress wasn't in a good mood. Once Ruby had put her stuff away, she turned to Weiss

"Umm, I'm gonna go take a shower real quick," Ruby said, not wanting to disturb Weiss, who was aggressively organizing her belongings

"Yeah, go ahead," Weiss replied through gritted teeth, trying not to take her anger out on Ruby. ' _How could I have been so careless as to forget my key. This should never have happened,'_ Weiss thought to herself, wanting to occupy her mind with her school work.

"Hey, Weiss?" Ruby murmured, fearing the potential wrath of the heiress before her, knowing exactly what that would entail.

Weiss quickly spun around, her hands on her hips and leaning towards Ruby, "What is it?" She snapped.

Ruby flinched just a bit, but enough for Weiss to notice. "After I get back, would you help me figure out my classes for next semester?" Ruby said, her voice surprisingly still for the situation.

Weiss let out a sigh, relaxing her posture so that she stood up straight, crossing one arm over her chest, the other massaging her temple. "I have far too much work to do tonight to help you. Besides, that's what the advisors are there for."

"Yeah, I know," Ruby replied, hanging her head. "I just want to be prepared is all. College is still a whole new experience for me, and it can be a little overwhelming, especially being here a year earlier than everyone else. I would go to my sister, but you know how she is. I love Yang to death, but she got held back before, and I don't want her to worry about me. But I understand" Ruby turned away to grab a change of clothes and her towel for the shower

Weiss stood for a second, watching Ruby, until she finally perked up, just before the redhead dashed out of the room. "Wait, Ruby."

Ruby turned from the door, the knob in her hand, and looked over her shoulder, trying not to look at Weiss directly.

Weiss let out another sigh, finally locking eyes with Ruby. "Since none of the work I need to get done is due until next week, I will help you pick your classes for next semester" The next thing the white haired girl knew, she was nearly tackled to the ground, enveloped by a hug from Ruby.

The young girl squealed into Weiss' ear, jumping up and down excitedly, only to be pushed back. Weiss turned her back to Ruby to conceal the red rising to her face, as Ruby quickly apologized, grabbed everything she needed, and ran to the shower.

' _A mature adult one minute, a bubley idiot the next. I gotta say, she truly does have potential. Getting into Patch, of all places, is tough on its own, let alone a year early. She is quite smart, if a little bit of a handful at times. So long as she controls those bursts of… whatever, or at the very least directs them to someone else, then I think I might be able to help her.'_

Deep in thought, Weiss almost didn't hear the door open up again as Ruby made her way back into the room. "Get everything ready, I need a shower as well. Once I get back, we'll jump right into this, got it?"

Ruby simply nodded, starting up her desktop to access the school's online catalog of classes as Weiss gathered everything she needed for her shower.

"Weiss?" Ruby said, looking up at Weiss as she reached for the door.

"Yes, Ruby?" Weiss replied, a little impatiently, trying to get to the shower.

"Thanks for doing this. I know you didn't have to, and you have more important stuff to do, but it means a lot. You're a really good friend, Weiss."

Weiss turned her head so Ruby couldn't see her cheeks turn even more red than before. "I-It's nothing. Don't worry about it," Weiss stammered before she bolted out the door.

* * *

 **AN: Noble: Ah, the ever faithful moment when you get locked out of your room. Get's worse when there's eight of you in the dorm suite and ALL of you happen to forget your keys for one reason or another.**

 **Peace: I blame Pyrrha. The injured should be the prepared.**

 **Noble: I get what you mean, but it's a moot point now. Regardless of that, I'm just glad we were able to include the bit with the Orange.**

 **Peace: That will never not be funny. I think I can still hear Ghost ranting.**

 ***OFF IN DISTANCE* Ghost: THAT'S BECAUSE IT WAS A FUCKING ORANGE FOR CHRIST'S SAKE! FUCKING EAT IT!**

 **Noble: For those who are wondering what we are talking about with this, tune into our podcast that we started making, where the usual insanity that is our AN's is now expanded and amplified to 1,000!**

 **Peace: You get to listen to EXACTLY how stupid we are. Its truly eye opening.**

 **Noble: That it is. But there is something I need to say now before the end of the note. Starting next chapter, this story's rating is going to have to be raised to M.**

 **Peace: Just like us, this story must mature. Unlike us, it is actually doing it.**

 **Noble: Yeah, you'll see what I mean next week when the chapter comes out. Hope you guys enjoyed this week, and prepare for shit to hit the fan!**

 **(Tumbleweed)**


	18. KANPAI!

Yang really felt as though she was done with the day. School had really started to get to her, and all the coursework thrown her way was starting to become a bit much for her to handle. She had to cut back on her normal workout schedule because of the exams she had this week alone. One of those exams she just walked out of, and if she were to be honest, Yang felt as though she completely bombed the exam.

Still, it was about to be the weekend, so Yang could take some solace in that. Sure, she said that she would help her sister set up for a charity livestream that she was doing in the morning, but that wouldn't stop her from enjoying her friday night.

' _God, a stiff drink would be absolutely perfect right about now,_ ' Yang thought to herself. She had managed to avoid drinking for quite a while now, but Yang always knew, deep down, that she couldn't avoid it. Alcohol was her vice; every time she was stressed out, or in a foul mood, she usually got drunk to the point that she wouldn't remember a damn thing from the night before. The only time that didn't happen was when her car got moved to the roof, though she didn't know how to explain that one. Hell, she _still_ had no idea how her car got onto the roof in the first place.

By the time Yang got back to the room, she was greeted to a surprising sight in front of her. Nora had the table in the common room set up with a large bottle of what Yang perceived to be saké, and a case of beer. There was also two glasses, as well as some shot glasses split evenly on either side of the table.

"Yang Xiao Long, I challenge you!" Nora declared once Yang walked into the dorm.

"Challenge me to what, exactly?" Yang asked.

"To a drinking contest!"

Yang knew it was a bad idea to get involved in a drinking contest right now. After the hellish week she just went through, Yang had lost all care for whether it was a good idea or not, and she craved a couple of drinks to help her feel better.

"Fuck it, I'm in!" Yang shouted as she walked further into the dorm. "Give me a minute to get changed and get ready to get schooled."

Walking into her own room, Yang noticed that Blake hadn't returned to the dorm yet. It was certainly disheartening, but Yang wasn't going to let it bring her down. "She's probably off studying somewhere anyway," Yang said to herself as she changed into a loose t-shirt and sweatpants.

Returning to the common room, Yang saw that Weiss had returned to the dorm no sooner than she had. "Hey, Weiss," Yang said once she saw her sister's roommate.

"Why do you guys have all this alcohol in the common room right now?" Weiss asked. "You know how much trouble we could get into for this being here."

"Just relax, Weiss," Yang said. She wasn't really in the mood to deal with the pissy heiress, and it reflected in her tone. "We won't get you in trouble for this, alright?"

"Fine," Weiss conceded as she walked back to her room. "Just don't get too loud and rambunctious."

"Oh calm your tits, Ice Queen," Yang mumbled to herself, grateful that Weiss didn't hear her. She _really_ wasn't in the mood to get into an argument with anyone. All she wanted was to get drunk, and forget about her own problems. "So, what are we drinking, Nora?"

"Saké bombs!" Nora proclaimed. Yang suddenly got excited at the prospect of what they were drinking. Saké bombs were a drink where warm saké was dropped into a glass of cold beer. The person drinking then had to all but chug the drink in order to get the best taste. The fact that they were using this in a drinking contest was already a bad idea, but Yang didn't care at that moment in time.

Nora and Yang poured their first beer out into the pint glasses, and Nora then took the bottle of warm saké and filled each of the shot glasses with it, eight shot glasses for each side of the table.

"Terms to win?" Yang asked.

"First to pass the fuck out, or throw up, loses," Nora mentioned. "Drop the shot in and drink at the same time, shouting KANPAI before we drop the shot in. Ready to go?"

"Bring it on!" Yang shouted right as the door opened to the dorm, revealing Ruby, Pyrrha, and Jaune.

"Oh god, Yang, what are you doing?" Ruby asked.

"Yang and I are having a drinking contest!" Nora proclaimed before Yang could say anything about it at all.

"Ok, if you're going to be doing this," Pyrrha started to say. "You're sleeping out on the couch, or with Ren tonight! I'm not having you get drunk and waking me up in the middle of the night. We don't need a repeat of what happened with you and that damn didgeridoo."

Throughout all of this, Jaune tried to reach in and grab a shot of Sake, but Yang grabbed his wrist and gave him a glare that shut him up, and got him to move away faster than ever before. "Wow, she really does need a Snickers right now," Jaune whispered to himself, remembering the events that transpired only a few days ago. "Anyway, I should probably get started on studying. You ladies enjoy your alcohol." Jaune then turned towards his room and walked in. Yang peeked through the door, and saw that Ren was already in there studying for something.

"Just don't get too drunk, Yang," Ruby said. "We don't need a repeat of last Fourth of July." Ruby walked towards her room, with Pyrrha following her inside.

"Now that we got that out of the way," Nora interjected, grabbing Yang's attention once again. "You ready to get schwifty?"

"No time like the present," Yang commented, a gut feeling developing briefly in her stomach that told her something bad was going to happen. "Three...two...one!"

Once Yang finished her countdown, both Yang and Nora shouted, the shot of saké in their hands, "KANPAI!" Two clinks of glasses connecting followed soon after. They then grabbed the pints of beer, and chugged the alcohol as quickly as they could to begin their contest.

* * *

As Yang and Nora were finishing off their seventh Saké Bomb, Yang was well aware of the fact that she was hammered. The blonde was the drunkest she had been in a long time, and she knew it. She wasn't going to be remembering anything from this night.

"God damn," Nora slurred. "You weally are good at hhholding your liquor, hehehe *hic*." Nora tried to stand up and walk around the table to hug Yang, but in her drunken stupor, she tumbled on top of Yang instead. If Yang hadn't caught her and held Nora close, the smaller girl would have cracked her head open again.

"Hehe, I nearly fffell," Nora giggled once she removed her face from Yang's bosom. "Thank god you have such plushie boobies."

"Heh, yeah," Yang giggled back, stumbling with Nora slowly over to the couch so that they could slump down. "I gueth they gave you some extra cushion when you ffell. You are sooooooooooooooo lucky that I caught you."

Before Yang knew it, Nora was snuggling up to her, wrapping her arms around the blonde's waist. "Myyyyy hero," Nora cooed as she rested her head on Yang's breasts. "Hey, Yang?"

"What's up, Nora?" Yang asked as she wrapped an arm around the cuddling girl. Somehow, Yang didn't consider what Nora was doing when the ginger brought her face up towards Yang's, her mouth coming right next to Yang's ear.

"Has anyone told you that you are super ffffucking hot?" Nora whispered into her ear as she moved her arm across Yang's exposed stomach. "Because, if I'm being honest, I would looove for you to...share the warmth."

Yang could feel a heat start to build below her waist, and she couldn't deny that it was a wonderful feeling. Still, a part of her knew that she shouldn't be doing this. Unfortunately, that part was snuffed out by the alcohol that she had consumed in great quantities.

Instead of pushing her drunken friend away, Yang decided to take it further. She cupped Nora's face in her hands, and pressed her lips to the ginger. Nora leaned back, and gently dragged Yang down on top of her, with their lips still connected. Slowly, their kisses became more and more passionate, their hands started to roam each other's bodies more openly.

Before Yang realized it, she had her hands underneath Nora's shirt, cupping the girl's breasts. At the same time, Nora had a hand down Yang's sweatpants, her slender fingers reaching into Yang's most private place. Her other hand was holding the back of Yang's head, keeping it up to her own so that their kiss would continue. Pushing Nora's face away from her own for a second, Yang looked into the turquoise eyes of her much shorter friend, and came to a simple conclusion in her drunken state.

Tonight, she was going to fuck Nora.

Removing her hands from under Nora's shirt, Yang wrapped her arms around the girl's back and lifted her up. On instinct alone, Nora wrapped her legs around Yang's waist, her hand never leaving the waistband of Yang's sweats. Carrying Nora over to her own room, Yang held her up against the door as she freed one hand so that the entrance to her room could be opened up. Once they were inside, Yang kicked the door shut, ensuring that they could share that private moment together.

* * *

It was well past midnight by the time Blake began to make her return back to the dorms. As much as she loved spending time at the library, her time there today had been especially frustrating. Almost every single book she needed for a research paper was signed out, so she had to turn to other means of information. On top of that, every guy under the sun had decided to flirt with her on that particular day, and it was frustrating her, because she kept having to stop her research and tell them to leave her alone.

In the end, Blake wanted nothing else than to sleep in her bed, maybe see if Yang was up for chatting with her for a bit beforehand. They had gotten into a habit of recounting their week just before bed, even planning out times to hang out on the weekend. Just thinking about the blonde brought a warm feeling to Blake's heart. She knew that it was best for her to talk with Yang soon, but she had so much stuff going on, there wasn't any time for them to have a full conversation..

By the time she reached the dorm room, Blake started to feel better. Once she stepped in, though, her attention was drawn elsewhere. She noticed the copious amounts of alcohol strewn across the table in the common room, some of the glasses accompanying them seemingly used.

Putting the thought out of her mind, Blake continued towards her room, pausing after just a few steps when she realized that there were noises coming from inside. Paying attention to what those noises were, she started to blush when she found out that it was someone moaning inside the room.

Blake walked quickly to her door and opened it partially to a sight she never thought would happen. ' _W-what?_ ' Blake questioned in her mind. Her eyes were wide as she felt her heart shatter by the sight in front of her. Blake now knew that it was Nora who was making those moans. She could tell that the ginger was reaching the peak of ecstasy as she was all but sitting down right on top of Yang's face, her body leaning backwards as she started to convulse in pleasure. Blake could tell it was Yang by the golden mess of hair that she possessed being spread out underneath Nora.

At that point, Blake shut the door, trying to process what was happening in her room right now. Her mind started to piece together the puzzle, and she did not like the end result. Her shock now turned to rage as she stomped her way over to the one door she could go to for help right now.

Once she reached the door, Blake pounded her fist as hard as she could against it. It didn't take that long before she got a result, the door opening up to a sleepy looking Jaune.

"Blake?" Jaune asked once he realized who was at the door. "What time is it?"

"I need to speak with Ren, right now," Blake stated, giving Jaune no room for debate. "If not, then he can't blame me for how brutally I'm going to murder his girlfriend!"

The shouting from Blake was enough to wake up Ren, and before she knew it, Ren was approaching the door as well. "Blake, can you please not yell? I don't want to wake up any of the others," Ren said, trying to be reasonable. "What do you need help with?"

Blake just grabbed Ren's wrist and dragged him out and over to her own room. "You can start by explaining this!" Blake said, opening her door to the image of Yang and Nora snuggling up together, naked on Yang's bed.

Instead of freaking out, Ren just sighed and shook his head. "I shouldn't be surprised," He mumbled. Blake glared at him while waiting for a response. "Nora and Yang decided to take part in a drinking contest, and I guess this is the end result."

"How are you not flipping the fuck out over your girlfriend cheating on you?!" Blake questioned.

"We're not actually together," Ren admitted. "At least, I don't think we are. She has never given me a definite answer, and honestly, this isn't the first time something like this has happened. She's her own person, and I have to let her be that person. Trying to stop her and force her into something she isn't will only make her resent me, something I found out when we were younger."

Silently, Ren walked into the room and reached over Yang in order to grasp Nora. Ren knew it was going to be better if Nora was with him when she woke up in the morning, so that he could explain what happened.

"Wait," Blake said before Ren was able to get a grip on Nora. Moving quickly, Blake walked over and snapped a picture of Yang and Nora laying together, intent on sending the picture to Yang for her to see. "I'm breaking this to Yang the hard way. Then I'm going to stay away from her for a while."

"Doesn't that seem a little, I don't know, drastic?" Ren asked while Blake started to make her way out of her own room, stopping only to grab a pair of pajamas that she could sleep in.

"I don't care if it's drastic," Blake groaned. "Yang needs to learn that her actions hurt people."

It took Ren a second before he realized what Blake meant by that, but instead of saying anything, he walked over and pulled Blake into a hug. "I'm so sorry," He whispered once he held Blake in his arms. "I didn't realize that you were in love with Yang."

"Neither did I, until now," Blake admitted, breaking free of Ren's grasp and walking out to the couch. She didn't know how long it was before she fell asleep; the last things she remembered was Ren carrying Nora to his own room, yelling at Jaune to close his eyes while Nora was naked in their room before he dressed her, and tears bursting from her eyes as she fell asleep.

* * *

"YANG, PUT YOUR CLOTHES BACK ON!"

The sudden shouting completely freaked Yang out, sending her tumbling to the floor below her bed. As soon as she hit the floor, Yang realized just how much of a hangover she was dealing with. Her head was pounding like crazy, and she barely had enough cognitive thought to realize that it was Ruby who was trying to grab her attention.

"Ugh, Rubes, could you be a little quieter?" Yang pleaded. "Head, hurts."

"Well that's what happens when you get blackout drunk," Ruby retorted. "Your own fault that you and Nora decided to get into a drinking contest. Now put your clothes back on and help me set up for my livestream like you promised me you would."

With that, Ruby walked out of the room towards her own in order to start setting up. Yang looked down and remembered what it was that Ruby had originally said to wake her up in the first place. "Oh, god what the hell happened last night?" Yang asked herself. She noticed that Blake was still away, and wondered what happened to her. Walking over to her dresser, Yang pulled out some clothes to lounge in and threw them on real quickly, before walking over to a mirror and inspecting herself.

That's when she noticed just how much of a mess she was. Her face was stained with the fluids that came from the night she didn't remember happening, and her hair was an extremely tangled mess of blonde. Yang was really starting to wonder what it was that had happened, but then she noticed her phone blinking with an indication that she had a message.

When she opened it up, Yang's heart sank. In it was a picture of herself and Nora curled up together naked on Yang's bed. But it was the caption that made Yang feel the worst.

'Next time you plan on playing around with me, just to go off and FUCK someone else, do me a favor and just don't bother with me. It'll save me the trouble of dealing with your bullshit!'

Yang knew right then and there that she had fucked up. Not only did she sleep with Nora, according to what this message was telling her, but she also hurt Blake in the process. Yang completely forgot about her hangover, because in her mind, her heart was in more pain than her body was.

She walked out to the common room and found that Blake was laying down on the couch, clearly just waking up herself. Yang wanted to say something, but when Blake looked at her, her face showing Yang just how much she despised her at that moment, Yang just shut up and let her head hang low.

"I'm sorry, Blake," Yang said after a few moments of silence.

"How can I believe you right now?" Blake asked.

Yang wanted to say something, her head shooting up to look at Blake, tears bursting from her eyes. Unfortunately for her, Blake beat her to the punch. "Don't bother saying anything right now, I don't want to talk with you. Just leave me alone today so that we don't ruin your sister's stream, which you should go and help her with." Blake said, without leaving any room for Yang to argue back.

With her head hung low in defeat, Yang walked over to Ruby's room to reluctantly help out with her sister. She knew it wouldn't do any good to try and speak with Blake, so for everyone else's sake, she was forced to bear with the consequences of her actions.

' _Why do I have to be such a fuck up?_ ' Yang thought to herself as she reached Ruby's door, begrudgingly facing the day she had ahead of herself.

* * *

 **AN: Noble: So how much do you guys want to burn me at the stake?**

 **Cmdr: YOU WANT HIM, YOU COME THROUGH ME!**

 **Noble: Don't worry though, we do have things already planned out. We aren't that much of a bunch of asshats.**

 **Cmdr: Yang…...you had one job…..**

 **Noble: She did...but that's what happens when you get drunk. Shit gets real. Regardless, it's not done and we still have many things to do. Including Ruby's stream, and the fallout from this chapter. Care to guess what Ruby is going to be streaming?**

 **Cmdr: I think I know…..in other news, RATING CHANGE!**

 **Noble: I'm sure you can see why we chose to do that...if not, you are a pervert. It was necessary given what it was that I wrote out.**

 **Cmdr: I have the fire hose prepped for people who need it.**

 **Noble: Anyway, other than this chapter, we have two episodes of our podcast releasing tomorrow! One was from last week (we are sorry for the delay), but you get double the podcast for your daily dose of whackiness from the Legion. Also, tomorrow I am going to be continuing my stream of Mass Effect starting at 2pm eastern! So come and check it out!**

 **Cmdr: *Clears throat* DO NOT BLAME ME FOR THE STUPIDITY OF THE D &D SESSIONS! **

**Noble: And on that note, we should probably call it a day! Hope you enjoyed this chapter, but not too much...that's just creepy.**

 **See you next week!**

 **(tumbleweed)**


	19. Live from 205

Ruby had just gotten her hands on a new copy of Fallout 4, and was finished arranging her side of the room she shared with Weiss, in order to stream her playthrough for the Extra Life Charity event. She had managed to clear off her desk, giving her enough room for her webcam, and her mic. The only thing left that she had to do was to arrange the lighting in the room. She was doing just that, as Weiss walked in.

"Oh, Weiss, can I ask you an important question?" The brunette asked enthusiastically.

"Ask away, Ruby" Weiss replied, looking at Ruby's side of the room in surprise, while thinking, " _Wow I was not expecting her to have cleaned her side of the room."_

"Would you mind giving me the room for the night?" Ruby asked.

"Ruby, I had no idea you were expecting company." Weiss replied, after blinking a few times in surprise at the question.

"Nonononono! Nothing like that. I'm going to be hosting a livestream for a charity event tonight. I'll be streaming a 24 hour playthrough of Fallout 4. " Ruby explained quickly, waving off the lewd implications.

"Why on earth would you be doing it for 24 hours?" Weiss asked in confused exasperation.

"What part of charity event did you not understand? All the donations tonight will be going to Extra Life." Ruby explained bluntly.

"I may have heard of them, don't they support Children's Miracle Network Hospitals?" Weiss asked, the name jogging her memory.

"Yup, they've been doing it since 2008, and have raised more than 14 million dollars." Ruby answered with a little pride, having been streaming for a few years already. This would, however, be her first time contributing to the event.

"That's actually pretty impressive. Well, have fun; if you need me, I'll be in the common room with the others." Weiss said with a shrug as she turned on her heel and walked back to the common room. Unbeknownst to Ruby, the other dorm members of 205 knew about the event, and had plans to watch the stream. Even Ruby and Yang's parents, and their cousin Penny were going to watch.

"Yo, Princess, she almost ready?" Yang asked from the couch, as Weiss walked into the common room.

"Yes, Yang, your sister is getting the lighting set up in the room." Weiss deadpanned, if there was one thing she hated, it was being called Princess.

"Great! Jaune, get the popcorn ready!" Yang called, as she sent out a message to her parents and cousin, letting them know Ruby was getting ready to start the stream.

"Salted butter, or unsalted?!" Jaune called from the kitchen.

"What do you think?! Salted of course, you uncultured swine!" Yang replied, slightly disgusted at the idea of unsalted popcorn. "Unsalted popcorn, who was the idiot who thought that was a good idea?"

"Gotcha! This is gonna be great!" Came the enthusiastic reply.

* * *

 _ **Ruby Rose**_

After Weiss left the room, Ruby finished setting up the lighting how she needed it. " _Perfect, I should have no issues with my green screen. Now, let's get started."_ Ruby thought, as she started up OBS, the streaming software that she uses, and launched her stream. The sound of the intro cutscene came through her speakers.

"War. War never changes. In the year 1945, my great-great grandfather, serving in the army, wondered when he'd get to go home to his wife and the son he'd never seen. He got his wish when the US ended World War II by dropping atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The World awaited Armageddon; instead, something miraculous happened. We began to use atomic energy not as a weapon, but as a nearly limitless source of power. People enjoyed luxuries once thought the realm of science fiction. Domestic robots, fusion-powered cars, portable computers. But then, in the 21st century, people awoke from the American dream. Years of consumption lead to shortages of every major resource. The entire world unraveled. Peace became a distant memory. It is now the year 2077. We stand on the brink of total war, and I am afraid. For myself, for my wife, for my infant son - because if my time in the army taught me one thing: it's that war, war never changes."

"Hey everyone, this is TheSliverRose! This is going to be a blind run in Fallout 4, and that was a pretty good opening for a game I've been waiting years to play! A few of you may have noticed, there is an extra link on the page. That's because I'm streaming this for the Extra Life Charity event. Any donations tonight will be going to the event, in order to help Children's Miracle Network Hospitals. I hope you all enjoy this run of the game, and will help support the event." Ruby said, a mile-wide grin plastered on her face when she entered the character creation.

Ruby started going through the different preset faces. Choosing the female protagonist, she started going through the many options. She was going to see about making a version of herself for the run. Not seeing one she wanted, she started using the more detailed creation tools. After about fifteen minutes, she had managed to make a passable representation of herself. Out of the corner of her eye, Ruby could see the Twitch chat scrolling with one comment standing out to her.

 **Firebomb: Still making look alikes of yourself?**

"You know it, Firebomb. Glad you could catch the stream tonight!" Ruby replied with a chuckle as she started picking the S.P.E.C.I.A.L stats for her character. " _How did I not think Yang would be watching? Suppose the others are as well."_

As Ruby walked through the first parts of the game, she experienced a myriad of emotions. From happiness, to sadness, to sheer awe at how much happened within the short time frame, Ruby was captivated by the opening ten minutes of this highly anticipated game. Now she was stuck inside of a pod, unable to act, as her character's spouse was shot in front of her, and the child of her character was taken from right before her eyes.

"Oh my god, why would they do this to us?" Ruby lamented as she watched the events that had just transpired before her unfold. Once she watched her character return to cryo sleep, Ruby turned to see if she had any donations, surprised by the fact that she did, in fact, have one already.

"And we already have a donation, first donation of the day, too!" Ruby beamed with excitement, especially after seeing who made the first donation. "Shout out to Jaune Arc, one of my friends from college, for sending in the first donation of the day. His donation was for $20, so thank you, Jaune. I actually like the comment that he made regarding the donation as well. His comment was 'Wow, sounds like this guy REALLY needs a Snickers right about now.'. Yeah, you aren't wrong about that, Jaune. You are not wrong at all."

* * *

 _ **One Hour Later**_

Ruby sprayed down the last of the bandits with another hail of bullets from the minigun she had ripped from the downed vertibird. She heard a distant rumbling, followed by the screeching of metal, as the grating of a nearby sewer was ripped from the ground and tossed to the side.

"What the heck was that?" Ruby said, looking in the direction of the noise. "OH HELL NO! ALL OF MY NOPE! NOPENOPENOPENOPENOPE!" Ruby shouted, almost throwing her mouse, as a deathclaw crawled from the sewer, roaring and growling for blood. She didn't even get to the museum before she was knocked to the ground with the deathclaw on top of her character. The attack ended with the mournful sounds of the game's death music. "I think it'll be picking me out of it's teeth for a few days." Ruby said wide-eyed.

 **WhiteKnight: YOU WERE NOT EXPECTING THE DEATHCLAW INQUISITION! NOBODY EXPECTS THE DEATHCLAW INQUISITION!**

"You are not wrong, WhiteKinght, that deathclaw was not having anything to do with my crap. Now HE was the one that needed a Snickers the most," Ruby replied as the message scrolled across the screen. "Time for round two you oversized leather bag!" Ruby said, as she respawned and stepped back onto the street.

 **PyrrhicVictory: You really don't like deathclaws, do you? Btw it's Pyrrha, if you couldn't tell.**

"Yes, yes I do hate deathclaws! The last one I ran into in Fallout 3 pulled me through the ground and killed me! Didn't even get the chance to fire a shot." Ruby said, glancing at the chat log. After four more attempts, each ending up going worse than the last, she finally managed to kill the deathclaw. After firing her remaining ammo into the corpse just to show her hatred. "Repeat, I really HATE deathclaws." Ruby growled, reloading her minigun, and turning into the museum to face the remaining horrors of the wasteland.

 **PyrrhicVictory: The salt is strong with this one.**

* * *

 _ **Five Hours Later**_

Looking through the mods she could make for the minigun she had been terrorizing the wastes with, Ruby settled on quick-barrel, shredder, and upgraded sights for the weapon. She had decided to name the gun Black Widow, on account of the number of bandits that she had to kill after first getting the gun in the first place.

"Ah, look at this beautiful gun," Ruby said to the chat. "It's just so perfect and deadly. I love it!"

As Ruby turned around after confirming the modifications, she saw Preston standing nearby. "Now, I just have to sneak past him without triggering a-"

"I have something new for you today, General."

"DO YOU REALLY, PRESTON?! DO YOU REALLY?! I SWEAR IF I GET ONE MORE SETTLEMENT QUEST FROM YOU, I WILL FEED YOU TO DOGMEAT!"

"I just got word that a settlement needs our help."

"I'M FEEDING YOU TO DOGMEAT!"

 **Firebomb: That doesn't seem physically possible.**

"It is if you use console commands, Firebomb." Ruby answered, giving serious thought to killing the NPC, but thought better of it. "Oh look, we have another donation! It's from another one of my friends, 'Maybe you can break his legs?! I'll hold him down for ya!'. Haha, thanks Nora, and you too Ren for the $35 donation!"

Over the next hour or so, Ruby got more and more donations from all different kinds of people, including $25 from Yang, and $15 from Blake. She continued to make her way through the quests, racking up experience, and discovering new parts of the story and world of the Commonwealth. As she walked out of the Old North Church, Ruby decided to take a few moments and check on the donations.

"Ok, let's see if there is any new donations since last I checked," Ruby said as she paused her game, and looked over to her second monitor. Reading the latest donations, she saw one in particular that caught her eye. At the sight, Ruby chuckled to herself, knowing just what the inside joke that was the donation meant.

"So, I got a donation of $40.04, and the donation was tagged with the comment. Error 404, donation not found," Ruby mentioned. "Now, for those of you who don't know, that is from my cousin, Penny. There's this thing that we always joke about with her saying that she is pretty much a robot. I'm not kidding though, she acts that way sometimes. Despite that, though, I love her to death, and she is one of my best friends."

Unknown to Ruby, though, her cousin Penny was actually sneaking up behind her, in view of the camera. She brought her finger up to her mouth in a motion to tell the audience to keep quiet about her presence, and silently approached Ruby. Once she was practically behind her, Penny let Ruby know that she was there. She brought her head almost right next to Ruby's and spoke loud and clear for her to hear.

"Salutations!"

"AAAAGGGHH!" Ruby cried out in response, and nearly fell down on to the ground. She looked up to see Penny standing there with a goofy smile on her face, and her hand up in a salute, much like she usually did around Ruby, and that helped Ruby calm down a bit. "Penny, what the heck?!"

"Sorry, Ruby," Penny said, her face still in a smile. She helped Ruby compose herself, and brought her cousin into a hug. "I just couldn't resist the chance to spook you a bit."

"Yeah, you certainly got me good, I can tell you that," Ruby responded. "Let me guess, Yang let you in?"

"Of course, though I would've been here sooner if I didn't have some errands to run beforehand," Penny replied. "Anyway, I'll let you get back to it. Just wanted to say high, and let you know that I was here! Have fun with your stream, I'll be out in the common room with everyone else!"

"I'll see you later, Penny," Ruby said before returning to her stream.

After a few more hours, and a lot of killing, Ruby had made it most of the way through the main campaign, and had triggered the quest Taking Independance. She prayed that it would be more interesting than the other settlement quests.

* * *

 **AN: Cmdr: What's up everyone, Commander here! And this chapter was, for some fucking reason, a bitch to write!**

 **Noble: We haven't even gotten through all of this yet. There's still plenty more for you to rant about Commander. I would know.**

 **Cmdr: I know….well at least we get to show you know who being you know what next chapter.**

 **Noble: Yeah, that teaser couldn't be any easier to spot if it were sent out as a global flare gun.**

 **Cmdr: Wasn't talking about the Queen.**

 **Noble: I know, but you did hint at that mission, so for those who have actually played Fallout 4, they know what is coming. But...there are some things I don't think people will be expecting… *huehuehuehuehue***

 **Cmdr: *Wolf growls***

 **Noble: Hopefully you guys enjoyed this chapter! We also are on twitch and you guys can watch us stream all different kinds of games with all different members of the Legion. Just search Legion205 on twitch and watch the insanity, it's already been great.**

 **Thank you for tuning into 205 for this long, and let me say...we're just getting started!**

 **(Tumbleweed)**


	20. Behind the Curtain

"Hey, do you hear something?"

"Nah, you're just imagining things."

That's what Weiss heard as she watched Ruby streaming the game, sat in the common room. Despite how awesome things were going for Ruby, it was anything but pleasant in the room Weiss was currently occupied in. In fact, Weiss would go so far as to say that things were downright miserable.

Weiss wasn't really paying much attention to the stream, as much as she wanted to. Instead, she was trying to figure out why Blake and Yang both appeared absolutely wrecked. Blake had this furious scowl across her face, while Yang looked like she was ready to up and leave at any moment. Hell, even Nora looked like she was gloomy, though Weiss couldn't tell if it was from the hangover, or something else entirely.

Most of the others seemed to be feeling the same way as she did; everyone was wondering what it was that had caused this much of a problem between Blake and Yang. Whatever it was, it wasn't good at all. The faunus sat at the recliner over by the door, while the blonde settled on the furthest desk chair away from her roommate. Normally, they would sit right next to each other, but to see them this far apart was alarming.

They ignored it, though, as Ruby charged out into a room with her minigun burning through bullets, a song Weiss could only imagine was called "Uranium Fever" was blaring through the carnage. They didn't seem to care that Ruby's own sister was dealing with all kinds of pain. All that mattered was that there was something going on, and no one knew what to say about it.

Weiss stood in the kitchen with Jaune, Pyrrha, and Penny as Jaune cooked up some grilled cheese sandwiches for everyone. Pyrrha sat on the countertop next to the stove, while the other two stood around her and Jaune. Their hope was that Blake and Yang were both paying attention to something else while the rest were conversing among themselves.

"Jeez, if I had known it would be this tense in here, I would've stuck around for only a few minutes before heading back to my room for the rest of the stream," Penny said quietly.

"You know, I don't think any of us would've blamed you for that," Jaune replied. "So why are you staying, then?"

"Because I told Ruby that I'd be in the common room watching," Penny answered.

"Still," Pyrrha cut in. "I can't even imagine what it was that happened last night. I just knew it was gonna get bad when I saw all the alcohol in here. Hey, Weiss, could you grab me my laptop?"

"Wait, what did you say?" Penny asked as Weiss went to fetch Pyrrha's laptop from her room.

"I asked Weiss to grab my laptop for me," Pyrrha answered. "Seeing as I can't walk, it would be hard for me to do myself."

"No, not that," Penny groaned. "What you said before." As Penny spoke, Weiss returned with Pyrrha's laptop.

"Nora brought in some alcohol, and had a drinking contest between herself and Yang involving Sake Bombs," Jaune mentioned. "The rest of what's left is stuck in my room, just in case you were wondering."

"Oh boy, not again," Penny sighed. "I think I know what happened."

"Wait, really?" Weiss asked. Once she saw Penny nod in response, Weiss continued. "Well, what is it?"

"Not out here," Penny said. "Do you think we could talk privately in one of the rooms real quick about this?"

"My room is open, if that helps. Just let me finish with this real quick," Pyrrha said as she typed out on her keyboard.

"Yeah, and these grilled cheese sandwiches are going to be finished in a minute, so I'll join you then," Jaune also mentioned.  
"Well then, once you guys are ready we can talk about this," Penny said.

After a few minutes, Jaune had finished with the grilled cheese sandwiches, and left the plate of them out on the table for everyone to enjoy. Taking a sandwich for himself, Jaune followed Pyrrha into her room, stopping only when he heard that Ruby got another donation.

"Awesome, we got yet another donation," Ruby said through the TV. "This one is a $50 dollar donation from another one of my college friends, and one of the people I'm living with on campus, Pyrrha! Thank you for the donation, and I really hope you've been enjoying the stream thus far."

"That's really nice of you, Pyrrha," Penny said as she walked into Pyrrha's room after the red head.

"It was the least I could do for one of my closest friends," Pyrrha replied.

"Yeah, Ruby really thinks highly of you," Penny admitted. "I'm glad that she has such wonderful friends who she can hang out with."

"Thank you for the kind words," Pyrrha said, blushing a little bit as she heard Penny speak. "Anyway, since we're alone now, I'm sure you can explain what you meant earlier."

"Yeah, I guess I could," Penny said. She took a seat next to Pyrrha on her bed, Weiss stayed standing, while Jaune was sitting at Pyrrha's chair that was in front of her desk. "Well, this is something that happened somewhat recently, and by the way, none of this leaves the room. Got it?"

Hearing a chorus of acknowledgements from the trio, Penny went on to explain what it was that happened. "Well, it was a couple of months ago, actually, back during this past 4th of July," Penny began. "Our family was having a giant party to celebrate the fact that Yang and I had graduated, and that Ruby found out she was accelerated into college with us. We all got together at a local park, and were having a barbeque."

"My uncle, Tai, Ruby and Yang's father," Penny continued. "He was grilling up some food for us all, people were drinking, it was an overall great time. Unfortunately, Yang was also drinking." Everyone could tell from the way Penny spoke that this was something that had affected her personally.  
"You don't have to go on," Jaune explained. "If it's bothering you this much to talk about it, then that's fine by us."

"How did you know that something was bothering me?" Penny asked.

"I have seven sisters," Jaune mentioned off-handedly. "You pick up on a few things over time."

"Regardless, I need to talk about this," Penny said, taking a deep breath before continuing. "Well, Yang got so drunk that she ended up having sex with one of the people that I brought to the party. What's worse is the person was my now ex-girlfriend."

"Wait, what?" Pyrrha asked. "Yang did what?"

"She got drunk and fucked my ex," Penny said, a bit bitterly. "My ex, Ciel Soleil, in case you're curious, and I were fighting quite a bit that day, and had been for a while, actually. I guess she just got so frustrated that she went over to Yang, and took advantage of the fact that she was drunk beyond expectations. Aunt Summer was the first to find the two of them, though they really weren't that hidden while they were off doing that thing. Once I found out what Ciel did, I broke up with her on the spot, not only for cheating on me, but doing so with my cousin while she was drunk."

Pyrrha, being the closest to Penny, wrapped her arms around her, and held her close, rubbing her back in an attempt to comfort her. "Thanks, but I'm better about it now," Penny said, despite having Pyrrha continue to comfort her anyway.

After letting go of Penny, Pyrrha waited for her to continue. "I waited until Yang was sober before talking with her, and when we talked about what happened, I realized that it wasn't her fault. She had no memory of doing anything that day, and if she wasn't drunk, wouldn't have even considered that."

Penny smiled a bit and chuckled to herself. "Actually, the incident made me realize what kind of person Ciel really was, what she thought of me. So, I'm glad things are over between us, though Ruby and Yang would probably tell you that I've been so hung up on this that I've thrown myself into my studies. They're probably right, too."

"Not to sound rude or anything," Weiss interjected. "How does this connect to what is going on between Blake and Yang now?"

"Well," Penny began to speak. "My only guess is that Yang and Nora got drunk, and ended up having sex with each other, and that Blake has feelings for Yang. Actually, you may want to rephrase that to _had_ feelings for Yang."

"God," Pyrrha said. "No wonder the two of them had been practically avoiding each other all day. They are in a really awkward and upsetting position right now."

"Nothing we can do about it for them right now, though," Penny mentioned. "It's better if they figure things out themselves. Us trying to get involved may not be the best idea." Penny then stood up from Pyrrha's bed and stretched. "You said you still had some of that alcohol in your room, right Jaune?"

"Yeah, why do you ask?" Jaune replied.

"Talking about my ex is making me feel in need of a drink," Penny said. "It would be the gentlemanly thing to go and fetch one for me, if you don't mind."

"Sure, it should still be in the cooler that Nora set up yesterday, if that helps," Jaune said as he stood up himself. "Either of you two want some as well?"

"No, thank you," Weiss said. "I'm not going to take part in that if I can avoid it."

"I'll have one, Jaune," Pyrrha said after Weiss finished. "I'm sure it'll just go to waste if someone doesn't drink it."

Walking out of the room, everyone took their seats on the couch while Jaune walked into his room to grab the beer. After a few seconds, Jaune returned with a bottle for himself, Penny, and Pyrrha. He handed them off to their recipients and then took a seat back on the couch to enjoy the stream once again.

* * *

 _ **Two Hours Later**_

Summer chuckled to herself as she watch the mayhem Ruby was causing as she went from settlement to settlement, before receiving a quest to retake a place called the Castle. "Seems like things will get interesting for a bit. What do you think, Tai?" She asked, looking to her husband.

"Looks like it, though part of me questions how she can sit in front of her computer all day like that." Tai said, thoughtfully.

"She can do it because she gets it from me, and not you." Summer replied, as she tapped away at her keyboard. "And that's sent. Good luck, Ruby, you'll need it." Summer had read up on that quest when Ruby had triggered it a few hours before. She was going to be in for a surprise.

"Alright, I think that's enough bandit slaughter, might be time for Taking Independance. What do you guys think?" Ruby watched as the chat log scrolled wildly with a majority saying to do the quest. "Alright, let's get this quest out of the-" Looking at the donation feed, she could see the newest donation. Ruby blinked a few times to make sense of what was on the screen. "My parents just donated $2,500, 'Good luck and keep having fun!'. Thanks Mom! Thanks Dad!"

* * *

Ruby fired a burst from her minigun into a cluster of eggs. "That should be the last of them. But that seems too easy." She said looking around the Castle for more eggs. The sound of gunfire pulled her back to the main courtyard. "WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?!" Was all Ruby was able to screech before the poison that sprayed from the giant creature dropped her health to zero almost instantly.

 **MonkeyLord: That is what even deathclaws fear. The deadliest sea dweller of all, the Mirelurk Queen!**

"I'd say you were being overly dramatic, MonkeyLord, but after what just happened, I'm inclined to agree. Glad you're still watching the stream." Ruby replied, seeing Sun's message. Despite the mishap with the pot brownies, Ruby found that she actually did get along with the monkey Faunus, and even had a few classes with him.

After twelve more attempts, the last one ending with her ranting about the Mirelurk Queen beating her to death with her own limbs, the creature died, and the quest ended with the unlocking of a new settlement.

* * *

Having witnessed Ruby's first death to the Mirelurk Queen, and the large donation that she had gotten from her parents, Weiss couldn't help but feel like she wasn't doing enough for her own satisfaction. Ruby was her roommate, for pete's sake, she should be willing to contribute as much as she felt was necessary for her friend's cause.

That lead Weiss to only one conclusion, she needed to make a pretty large donation. Unfortunately for her, that also meant explaining everything to her father, since it was his money that she was using while at school.

She went over the thoughts in her head as Ruby continued to fight against the Mirelurk Queen, the creature ripping her limbs off, and beating her character to death with them. As Ruby was going into a full blown rant about how much she was hating this creature due to its difficulty, comparing it to how much she hates Deathclaws, Weiss turned to address the redhead that was sitting next to her.

"Hey, Pyrrha, could I borrow your room for a few minutes?" Weiss asked her suitemate. "I want to make a phone call, but it's pretty loud out here."

"Yeah, I have no problem with that," Pyrrha sounded off from the couch. "The door should be unlocked."

"Thanks, I just need to grab something from my room first," Weiss said as she stood up, and walked towards her door. Quietly opening it so she didn't disturb Ruby, Weiss entered the room to grab her wallet. Unfortunately, Ruby did notice, and started to speak with Weiss.

"Hey, what's up?" Ruby asked, putting her game on pause.

"Don't mind me," Weiss dismissed, hoping that she wouldn't continue to bother Ruby. "Just needed to grab something from in here real quick." Having found what she was looking for, she quietly left the room, noticing that Ruby had already returned to her game. By the time Weiss got back to the common room, she actually heard Ruby saying something that she missed while in the room.

"Shout out to my roommate for being super awesome and supportive!" Ruby said as she began yet another attempt at retaking the castle.

Smiling, Weiss walked to where she was sitting, and grabbed her phone and laptop, before walking into Pyrrha's room for some privacy. Opening up her laptop and pulling up her contacts list on her phone, Weiss found the number she was looking for, and dialed it in. It took a few seconds before an answer was made, though it wasn't what Weiss had expected to hear.

"Schnee residence, Winter speaking, how may I help you?" Weiss' older sister, Winter, turned out to be the one who had answered first.

"Winter?" Weiss asked, confused as to why her sister was home at that moment in time. "When did you manage to make it home?"

"Oh, Weiss, I didn't realize that it was you calling," Winter said, her tone brightening up as she recognized her sister's voice. "I managed to get myself some time off, so I decided it would be beneficial if I visited Mother and Father. How's Patch University treating you?"

"Everything is going well so far," Weiss started off by saying. "But, I was actually hoping to speak with Father about something, if he happens to be available right now."

"Oh, well I believe he just finished dinner, and was about to go up to his study for a bit," Winter explained. "Do you want me to go and inform him that you are on the phone?"

"I would appreciate that," Weiss responded. "If it doesn't inconvenience you, of course."

"I don't mind," Winter replied. "Just give me a moment to reach his study." Walking over to the office took about a minute for Winter. Once she arrived, she knocked on the door first, and waited for an acknowledgement before entering.

"Who was on the phone earlier?" Mr. Schnee asked.

"It was Weiss, and she is still on the phone," Winter replied. "She wishes to speak with you about something."

"Ah, well then, hand me the phone so that I may speak with my youngest," Mr Schnee said. Once Winter handed the phone off to him, she stepped out of the study to give him some privacy. "Hello, Weiss, I hear you have need of me?"

"Hello, Father," Weiss said from within Pyrrha's dorm room. "There's a little bit of explanation to this, so please hear me out before making a decision."

"Alright," Weiss' father replied, curious as to what his daughter was going to tell him.  
"So, my roommate at Patch is taking part in this charity event called Extra Life," Weiss began to explain. "It's an event where people go online to live stream video games so that people can watch them, and donate money to the charity organization while being entertained. All of the proceeds go towards the Children's Miracle Network Hospitals, and because it is my roommate that is taking part in this, I wanted to make a donation to her stream, which, as I said, would benefit the organization running the event."

"So," Mr. Schnee said. "You were going to ask if you could use the card I gave to you, so that you could make the donation to this charity?"

"That would be an accurate summarization of what I was hoping to achieve," Weiss answered.

Weiss had to wait for a few moments before hearing an answer. In that time, her father was most likely weighing all of his options and considering things very intensely.

"How much were you planning on donating?"

"I was thinking a small contribution, at least for what we have available, of around $10,000; it would be more than enough for something like this," Weiss replied. "Especially considering it's going to benefit the local children's hospital, one that Ruby chose for her streams donations to go towards."

"That's quite a sum you are asking about," Mr. Schnee mentioned before going silent for a few more moments. "Alright, you may make the donation under one condition."

"What might that be, Father?" Weiss asked, curious as to what he would want.

"I wish for you to go out and find employment for the time you are attending school," Mr Schnee said plainly. "I want you to be able to experience hard work, and to earn money for yourself before inheriting the company, even if it means taking on a job that may seem to be trivial at times. Your grandfather had me working at a gas station while I was in college, and it taught me quite a bit in the end. So, do this, and you may help your roommate with her charity event."

"Thank you, Father," Weiss practically beamed. A simple job wouldn't be too difficult to go through. "I'll put the donation through now, and send you any relevant information so you may verify the validity of my claims."

"That won't be necessary, dear," Mr. Schnee responded. "I trust you with this, so there is no need for you to burden yourself."

"I understand, though I will send it anyway, just to be safe," Weiss insisted.

"Very well then, is there anything else I can help you with?"

"Not at this moment," Weiss answered. "Actually, I should get going so that I may return to my roommate's stream, and support her."

"Alright," Mr. Schnee said. "Please be sure to give us a call sometime soon, it's nice to hear from you every now and then. I'll tell Winter and your mother that you said hello."

"Thank you, Father," Weiss said. "Have a good evening."

"You too, Weiss," Mr. Schnee said before hanging up the phone.

Weiss finished working on the information for the donation, and hit enter before returning to the common room. Along the way, she saw Nora pass her, and enter the room that Weiss just came from, shutting the door behind her quietly, but paid it no mind, still focused on her donation. By the time Weiss returned to her seat, she saw that Ruby had finished up the quest that had been destroying her for the better part of an hour.

"Thank god I finally got that done!" Ruby beamed with excitement. "You won't beat me with my own limbs any longer, you vile creature of the wasteland!"

Weiss was subtly paying close attention to Ruby, hoping to see how the younger girl reacted to the donation Weiss sent her way just moments ago. Weiss was hoping for an incredibly moving reaction, one even bigger than the reception Ruby gave after her parent's donation. She was hoping her contribution would brighten up the atmosphere a little bit, seeing as how things seemed to be absolutely abysmal at that point.

"Ok, gonna check the donation count, give me a second," Ruby said on the big screen. Almost immediately after saying that, Ruby's eyes went wide as she saw the most recent donation. "Oh my god," Ruby mumbled as she stood up and walked away from the computer for a moment.

"What the hell is going on?" Yang asked, looking around at almost everyone in the common room. Getting no response from anyone, Yang was two seconds away from walking into Ruby's room. Fortunately, Ruby reappeared on camera not a moment later, her eyes a little red.

"So, you guys aren't going to believe what just happened," Ruby said. "Sorry that I walked away for a second, but I just got a $10,000 donation from someone."

"What?!" Yang shouted, standing up immediately and running to Ruby's room.

Everyone else was just as surprised as Yang was. Pyrrha had her hand covering her mouth out of excitement, Jaune was up on his feet shouting 'oooooooohhhhhh' over and over again, Ren was wide eyed with surprise, even Penny was cheering for what they just heard.

Weiss watched as Ruby was beside herself with joy, a positive feeling running through her body at the thought of doing something so wonderful. Even when she saw Yang burst into camera moments later to congratulate Ruby, that feeling never died. Weiss looked over and saw that even Blake had a smile on her face, happy that Ruby got such a huge donation for a wonderful cause, if anything else.

"That's a really great thing for Ruby," Nora said gently. Weiss still couldn't shake the feeling that something was off with Nora, as it had been all day up till that point. "Ren and I are going to run out to the store, so we'll be back later."

"See you in a bit, Nora," Pyrrha called out to her roommate, though Weiss could tell that Pyrrha must've felt that same feeling that she was. Putting the thoughts out of her mind once Nora and Ren left, Weiss returned her attention to Ruby, who got back to her grand adventure for charity.

* * *

 _ **6 hours later: 2 am**_

Having been streaming for so long, Ruby was starting to feel drained. 18 hours into the event, and Ruby was feeling exhaustion start to take over. Adding in the fact that her mind was on other things, Ruby was starting to play progressively worse and worse. Her mind was solely on the subject of what had happened between Blake and Yang, with Nora somehow tied into the mix.

It wouldn't have been as bad, but Penny had to let her know about it while she was leaving for her own dorm through a text while Ruby was streaming earlier in the day, so it was all that she could think of. Adding in the fact that she saw for herself just how thoroughly miserable people were out in the common room while she went to take a bathroom break and get a snack. Now, Ruby just knew that things were bad, despite her warning that she gave to Yang before this all happened.

Having gotten killed to a group of Synth's for what felt like the seventh time, Ruby decided it was time to call it for the evening.

"Alright, I don't think I can do much more right now, guys," Ruby said once she died. "I can't seem to keep my eyes open, I'm doing worse and worse, and I don't want to fall asleep on stream. So this is where I call it for today. Thank you guys so much for watching the stream today, and thank you to everyone who donated for the charity. In total, between everyone who donated, and it was a lot of you guys, we raised a total of $15,000 dollars on the dot, for the Extra Life charity event. So thank you for taking part in this, I had a blast. I'll be back sometime later to finish up the rest of the game, so hopefully that comes soon. I love you all, and have an incredible evening!"

With that, her stream cut out, and she let her head rest back against her chair for a moment so she could gather her thoughts. Now that her stream was over, she needed to deal with this situation involving her own sister's drunken mistake. She stood up and opened up the door, walking out to the common room to confront her sister.

"Yang, can I see you in my room for a minute?" Ruby asked, struggling to keep calm in front of the others. Yang, head bowed, shuffled into Ruby and Weiss' room. When the door closed, the other shocked occupants of the flat could hear the sudden shouting. "YANG XIAO LONG, WHAT WAS THE ONE THING I TOLD YOU LAST NIGHT?!"

"To not have a repeat of last 4th of July." Came Yang's muffled and meek reply.

"EXACTLY! YOU HAD ONE JOB, YANG! NOT TO GET BLACKOUT DRUNK AND FUCK NORA! YET YOU DID IT ANYWAY!" The redhead shouted in reply. There had only been a few times in the past when Ruby had gotten truly angry, and each time, it had been for a reason. Yang's mistake, whether intentional or not, affected everyone in the flat, and Ruby was letting her know it.

After taking a few seconds to calm down, she continued. "You need to find Nora and Blake, and fix this. _You_ , need to, Mom can't cover your ass for this, and I won't even try. At the very least, get back on better terms with them." With those last few words, Ruby opened the door to the common room, and let Yang walk out to face the consequences of her actions.

As Ruby walked out to the common room, her eyes immediately began to search for Nora, yet she did not find the normally bubbly ginger anywhere. Even Ren was missing, which confused Ruby even further. "Where's Nora?"

"She went out to the store with Ren," Jaune replied. Looking at his phone to check the time, he saw that they had been out for way too long. "Wait, they should have been back well before now, so where are they?"

"I think I know where they are," Pyrrha interjected softly, yet sadly as well. "I got a message from Nora a few hours ago. She told me not to tell everyone, but instead of going to the store, she went home with Ren for the rest of the weekend, and that she wouldn't be heard from until after she gets back from classes on Monday."

The news threw everyone into a state of confusion, partially because of the suddenness of this behavior, but also because of who it was involving. "Whatever happened between Nora and Yang, it really affected her, because she has been looking ready to curl up in a ball and cry all day long," Pyrrha continued on. "It isn't our business to be involved, but I think we should avoid bringing it up again when she gets back. I don't want to deal with her becoming any more heartbroken because of this." Leaving it at that, Pyrrha went back into her room, and off to sleep. Taking her advice, everyone else subsequently trailed off to sleep behind her, a supposedly good day having taken a sudden somber turn.

* * *

 **Ren and Nora POV**

In all the time that Ren and Nora had known each other, he had never seen her look so sad. Normally, he struggled just to keep her calm and contained, but right now, the eerie silence that had sat between the two of them was worrying him.

Never before, in all the time that Ren knew Nora, did she stay this quiet and unmoving for as long as she had while awake. He knew that she was holding back her emotions, waiting until she was in a place where she could let them out safely.

Even the last thing that Nora had said all day gave Ren reason to be worried.

Once Ren and Nora had left the dorm, they trudged over to his car, and only when they got inside did she finally speak. She said only one thing, but it was enough for Ren to realize why they had left the dorm in the first place.

"I want to go home."

Nora's words were quiet and restrained, the polar opposite of who Nora was as a person. After hearing Nora's plea, Ren figured it was for the best, and drove his companion to the home they shared together. The entire time, Nora just stared out the window, watching as the clouds above grew darker, and eventually unleashing the rainstorm on top of them.

By the time the pair reached their home, Ren could tell that Nora was close to letting it all out. He parked in the driveway, and grabbed Nora's bag from the back seat of the car so that Nora could just walk up to the house. Nora waited outside for Ren to unlock the front door, not a care at all for having to stand in the rain and get drenched. Once Ren unlocked their home, Nora walked inside, and went straight up the stairs to the room she shared with Ren.

Ren placed Nora's backpack down at the table in their living room before giving chase. Their home wasn't the largest, but considering what they had before, it was a luxury to them. A two story house with a decently large kitchen, dining room, and living room, multiple bedrooms on the upper floor, and a basement for storage should it be needed.

When Ren reached the master bedroom, he noticed that the door was open. He knew who it was that had opened it up, though, the whole reason they were here was because of the person sitting inside the room. Slowly widening the door, Ren saw Nora's wet clothes tossed aside all over the floor. Their owner was sitting on the ground with her back to the bed, her knees held up to her chest, and her hair still dripping from the rain.

Ren himself was still wet as well, but he couldn't care less about his own well being at the moment. Nora was more important to him. Ren knelt down next to her, taking note of her body slightly shaking. Whether it was from being in the cold rain, or her own emotions, Ren couldn't tell. "Hey, let's get you dried off, ok?"

"Why?"

Ren had barely registered what Nora had said to him, pausing right before reaching out to help her stand up. "Why what?"

"Why do you bother with me when I'm such a fuck up?" Nora asked, her voice quivering as she went on. "All I ever do is act like an immature child that messes everything up for everyone. So why do you even bother with me at all?" Nora looked up at Ren. Her eyes were bloodshot, tears streaking down her already soaked face. Her hair hung down in front of her, clinging to her skin.

Ren held Nora's shoulders, hoping that a firm grip would stop her from shaking. "I don't think that about you, so there is no reason for you to claim yourself as such."

"Just, stop," Nora demanded, despite her voice wavering. She turned her gaze away from Ren. "You can't tell me that I'm not a fuck up after what I did to Blake and Yang's relationship."

And there it was, the one emotion Ren never knew Nora could experience, regret. She normally lived life without having any at all, believing that having regrets would only make you miserable. Yet to see her this way, feeling like that for the first time, Ren didn't know what to make of it.

"It's all my fault they're so upset right now."

By that point, Nora had forgone holding herself, and instead clung to Ren, crying into his shoulder. Ren didn't say anything, he just knelt there, and let Nora have her time to cry. He wanted for her to feel better, and being the shoulder to cry on was just one thing he could do at that point.

After what felt like forever, Nora finally stopped. She looked up at Ren, her eyes dead and tired from the past two days. "Can we just go to bed now?" Nora mumbled, barely conscious as it was.

Without saying a word, Ren helped Nora into the bed. He got undressed, and then joined the still girl soon afterwards. Almost immediately after climbing in, though, Ren felt Nora latching onto him, as if he was on the verge of death itself. Ren knew he had his work cut out for him this weekend with keeping Nora's spirits up, but he was willing to do whatever it took, for her.

* * *

 **AN: Noble: So, you guys think that this is going to wrap up at any point in the near future?**

 **Cmdr: NOPE! On a side note angry Ruby is absolutely terrifying and expect her to return.**

 **Noble: I don't know which is worse, angry Ruby, or depressed Nora.**

 **Cmdr: I would say depressed Nora. Angry Ruby can at least be appeased with cookies and strawberries.**

 **Noble: This is true. But let me say this, we are in no way shape or form, done with this tension just yet. Blake and Yang will have quite a bit of time before they fully make things up.**

 **Cmdr: On another topic the Podcast is gonna take a month hiatus cause I need to catch up with editing what we have recorded so far.**

 **Noble: On that note however; We are looking for questions that we can answer in a mailbag episode for when we come back. So please, send us your questions in PM to myself or any of the other members of the Legion. If you want to send your questions via Twitter or email, you can find us at Legion_205 and Legion of205 Gmail com (no spaces and add the period).**

 **Cmdr: If you send us your questions via audio format I can splice them into the episode. We would recommend Audacity, it's free and fairly easy to use.**

 **Noble: Thank you for enjoying this week's chapter, and we hope to see you again next week!**


	21. No Rest for the Wicked

Work.

There was always more work to do. Thus was the life of a college student. Well, a good one, anyways. Homework after project after test after quiz after… well, everything else there was to do. Not a day went by where a new assignment wasn't given, where the next big assessment didn't loom on the horizon.

So it amazed Weiss that people were ever able to live that wild college life she always heard about. She hardly had time to spend with her dorm mates, let alone to go out each night partying like there was no tomorrow. She didn't even know how Ruby could spend so much time being excited about a game that wasn't even out for another few weeks. Weiss wasn't sure she could go through another rant about Fall-down, or Fall-out, or whatever it was.

There was just so much for her to do. As a freshman, she had to clear as much of the general education as possible, so she wouldn't become one of those seniors sitting in on a class for freshmen. An 18 credit workload had seemed like a good idea when she originally signed up, but now she knew it was a mistake. The project with Velvet had only been a taste of what was to come. That class alone had assigned three different reading assignments in the past week and a half, and this was just a week before the next test, and yet another project due a week after that. Fortunately, they were given the same partners, and Velvet was far from a slouch, so at least Weiss had that to be thankful for. But that was just one class. It didn't even begin to account for her trigonometry, her western civilizations, or her chemistry. All pointless to her major, all dull to the point of being coma inducing, but required, none the less. And they all had workloads large enough to crush a small child beneath the paperwork.

' _I suppose that's why they call them 'weeder classes,'_ ' Weiss thought as a sigh escaped her lips. The stress had been building up, and recently, she couldn't seem to get all the work she needed to do out of her mind. Which should be encouraging, as it could give her that push she needed to get started on those tiresome assignments, as opposed to putting them off till the last minute and turning in a rushed, poorly written joke of an attempt. It should be able to give her the kick she needed to get off the couch, and get to work.

If only it worked that way…

This had to be the hundredth time she had thought about this tonight alone. She had been staring at the blank ceiling above her, begging her brain to calm down just long enough for her to sleep. For her to embrace the warm sheets, and allow the darkness to take her. But it seemed that tonight, just like the others, wasn't meant to be her night. She had even went to bed earlier than she usually did, hoping that a change in schedule would bring about some miracle. All it seemed to do was give her a reason to give up sooner. Quietly, she climbed out of bed, glancing at the clock as she did.

' _4 am…_ ' She silently acknowledged. 'I must have slept for an hour or two somewhere in there. Not that it feels like that. I suppose that rest will have to do, though. It's not like I'm going to fall asleep anytime soon.'

Unfortunately, this wasn't anything new. Insomnia didn't run in her family, but for some reason, she never seemed to be able to sleep when she really needed to. Before this, she had gone months without more than 4 hours of sleep a night, and was able to function as a reasonable adult. It was just part of who she was anymore. In fact, the last time she had slept soundly was when the power went out two weeks ago, and she woke up next to Pyrrha. Then again, that was just before the camping trip when she shared a tent with Ruby, and she hadn't had any problem sleeping then either...

Shaking off the thought, Weiss rose from her bed and quickly pulled the sheets back up. As quietly as she could, she slowly made her way out the door and into the common area, flinching as the latch clicked louder than she would have liked. Sighing for a third time, she slowly made her way over to the kitchen, and began to brew herself a pot of coffee. As the water boiled in the small coffee maker, she wandered over to the living area, and grabbed the textbook she had left out the night before. It had become a simple routine, one that she was far too comfortable with for her liking. Silently, she rested on the couch, reading in the low light from the kitchenette, and listening to the soft sounds of the coffee dripping down from the filter, drop by drop.

But this morning was going to break the routine. Most days she would be able to sit in peaceful silence for a couple hours, then go shower and truly begin her day. She would have hours before anyone else woke up, and be able to catch up with one of her many reading assignments. But her focus was shattered as a door slowly swung open, and a yawning blonde with flowing hair slipped out of her room.

Yang made it halfway across the room in her sleep daze before the light from the kitchenette hit her eyes and forced her to retreat back to the shadows.

"Wha…" Yang started, clearly confused at the light being on so early in the morning. Eventually, her mind began to catch up with her surroundings, and she looked around, stopping when she noticed Weiss on the couch, textbook in her lap. "Weiss…? Why…?" She asked, not quite finishing her sentences as she continued to process what was happening.

"Can't sleep," Weiss said simply, trying to focus on her book.

"Well that's not good. Why? Did Ruby start to snore? I know it doesn't happen very often, but when she does, it sounds like it is going bring the house down, doesn't it?"

"Well, yes, but this has nothing to do with her. I simply have too much to do to waste my time trying to do something that simply isn't going to happen."

"Isn't going to… You mean this has happened before?"

Weiss sighed as she set down her book, realizing she wasn't going to make any more progress this morning. "I don't know how you reached that conclusion, but yes, this isn't the first time. I'll be fine, I always have been. I'll just take a nap later today."

"No," Yang said simply. "You're not fine. I knew something was off with you these past few days." Yang paused as she made it the rest of the way into the kitchen. "Like, for starters, you know how you are making coffee?"

Weiss's brows furrowed as she turned about, trying to get a look a Yang. "Yeah? What about it?"

"It really helps if you don't leave the pot in the drying rack."

Weiss's eyes widened as she realized her mistake, and as quickly as her tired mind would allow, bolted for the kitchenette, only to see the blonde already wiping up the puddle that had been growing. "Crap… I'm sorry, Yang, let me…"

"No, it's fine," Yang said with a wave. "People do dumb things when they are tired. But you taking a nap won't fix this problem. Actually, it will only make it worse."

Weiss could only stare as Yang continued to wipe up the remaining coffee. She barely even heard the words that were being said. "Worse? How could sleeping make this worse?"

"It throws off your sleep cycle, and disrupts your metabolism, along with a few other things. Honestly, beyond catnaps, sleeping should be saved for the night." When Yang turned around, she noticed Weiss's confused gaze. "What? When you wanna be a trainer, you need to go all the way. That stuff doesn't just end when you walk out of the gym."

"Fine," Weiss conceded, "Then what do you suggest?"

"Well, what have you tried already?"

"Besides staring at the ceiling? When I was back home in Buffalo, we tried various sleep aids, but none of them really worked. Apparently, I have a resistance to medication in general…"

"Really?" Yang asked, glancing up and down Weiss's slender frame. "Huh, oh well, there goes the last resort. Let's see if we can make something else work, then. I will change my schedule around a bit. You," Yang pointed at her exhausted roommate,"are going to the gym with me tonight."

"Tonight? Then what am I supposed to do about the rest of today? I'm still exhausted."

"I dunno. Do whatever it is you usually do on a Saturday."

"Wait… Saturday?"

"Yeah, why else would I be up this early? I always workout in the mornings on Saturday. The gym is nice and empty, so I can do a full circuit without anyone interrupting me."

Weiss didn't hear that last part, as she buried her head in her hands and suppressed a scream.

* * *

"Why did I agree to this," Weiss asked aloud as she trailed behind Yang. Currently, the student health center was slipping from their view, and the dorms were rising in the distance. Yang walked with her hands behind her head and an easy stride, held back slightly to allow Weiss to keep up.

"Because you want to sleep tonight?" Yang replied without turning about.

"Sleeping will have no meaning if I wake up in the morning wishing I was dead."

"Oh, it's not that bad. You act like you have never been to a gym before."

"…"

"Weiss…? You have been to a gym before, right?"

"Of course I have! You think fencing comes 100% naturally?"

"When was the last time you ran on a treadmill?"

Weiss paused momentarily to think back, but that pause alone was enough for Yang to shake her head. "Hey," Weiss argued indignantly, "There is more to fencing than just endurance. And I can get the same effect from prolonged sparing matches."

"Boxers have the same argument, but that doesn't stop me from running."

"I bet there is more to it then that," Weiss muttered under her breath, but just loud enough for Yang to hear.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Please, I know that running is used for three things. And considering how you didn't run at an endurance pace, or for a weight loss duration, that leaves only one thing."

"And what would that be?"

"You're trying to tone your lower body. The fact that you followed it up with what could only be called an 'Ass Circuit' only makes it more obvious."

"Oh really? And what about you, Ms. '30-minute ab routine?'"

"Don't even try that. You know as well as I do that an athlete's strength comes from the core."

"I'm sorry, who is the physical fitness major here?"

"That just makes it so that you know the best ways to work out. Speaking of which, who is that Ass Circuit even for? It not like you really hang out with anyone outside of the suite, and the only guys there are Ren and Jau…" Weiss trailed off as her eyes widened.

Weiss stared at Yang's back as she pondered what she had just finished saying, before Yang just broke down laughing. "Ja… Jaune? Really?!" Yang choked out through her laughter. "Don't get me wrong, he's a nice guy but, no. He's really not my type."

Weiss managed to recover from her shock, and picked up her pace slightly, despite her bodies complaint. As she drew even with the blonde, a thought struck her. "Wait, you're bi, aren't you?"

"Put that together yourself, princess?" Yang replied with a wink.

"Don't. I already knew, it just slipped my mind. So many of our roommates are out, I actually struggle to remember who is what."

"Does it really matter that much?"

"It does when I'm trying to figure out who the hell that circuit was for. I mean, it's obviously not Ruby, and I highly doubt it's me, otherwise we wouldn't even be talking about this. That leaves Nora, who is with Ren, Pyrrha, and…"

"How many times are you gonna trail off there? Need help finishing your sentence?"

"Nope, because I just figured it out."

"Just figured…" Yang's stride faltered a bit as she realized what Weiss had said, almost causing her to trip over her own feet. When she eventually righted herself, she had to rush a few steps to catch back up. "What do you mean, you just figured it out? I've done that workout for years, and I've done it for no one but myself!"

"So you say," Weiss replied easily, a smile gracing her lips.

"Oh, now I wish I pushed you harder," Yang mumbled as they walked into the dorm building. "Next time, you won't be able to walk straight for a week, let alone back from the gym…"

"Um… Phrasing?"

"Did… did you just make a sex joke?"

* * *

"I swear to God, just let it go!"

"No way! We really are having an influence on you, Ice Queen! We barely hear you joke, let alone make sex jokes!"

"Quiet down, will you? We don't need the entire dorm to hear about it. In fact, I think our roommates are sick of it as it is."

"Fine, but we aren't done talking about this."

"Yes we are. Now why did you drag me into my own room?"

"Oh, right. When do you usually go to bed?"

"When I feel like it. There doesn't need to be a rhyme or reason behind it."

"But there does," Yang insisted. "Inconsistent sleep patterns throw off the body, and can actually make you very sick. But more importantly, it makes it harder to sleep when you need to. So tonight, we are going to change that. You are going to bed at 10 o'clock."

"You're instituting a bed time? Really?"

"Hey, do you want a sound night of sleep or not?"

"…Fine. But why are you telling me this now? It's 9 o'clock."

"Because, dear Weiss, we are gonna try one more thing as well tonight. Have you ever meditated before?"

"… As in yoga?"

"Oh wow, you really are a princess... Uh… yes and no, but keep that in mind, we might try it if this doesn't work. Yoga uses meditation, but meditation is used in more than just yoga. Our goal is to use it to quiet your mind, and hopefully allow you to sleep. So, you have 30 minutes. Wash up, do your hair, or whatever else you need to do, but when I get back, we're gonna figure this out."

* * *

"Uhhh… Weiss?"

"Yes, Ruby?"

"Why are you laying on the floor?"

"Ask your sister."

"What would Yang have to do with you laying on the floor? She's in the common area talking to Blake…"

Weiss's eyes shot open at this comment, and immediately noticed the absence of the blonde woman. "Useless lesbian," Weiss muttered as she stood up.

"She's bi," Ruby said absentmindedly. "Were you meditating?"

"That was the plan, but Yang was supposed to guide me through it. I must admit though, the fact that she was so quiet in sneaking out is actually impressive…"

"What does Yang know about mediating?"

"Apparently about as much as me, since she had to google techniques about it as soon as we started."

"Yeah, that sounds like her," Ruby chuckled. "Mind if I join you then?"

"I suppose. It's not like you can make it worse."

This time, Weiss assumed a sitting position, resting her hands upon her knees. She closed her eyes, and started talking deep, focused breaths. She heard Ruby take a seat across from her, followed by softer, measured breaths.

"Weiss, don't force your breathing. Just relax a bit. And straighten up a bit. Slouching like that will close up your airways."

"This, coming from you?"

"Hey, you walk your way, I'll walk mine. But when it comes to meditating, it really does matter."

"It does when you walk too, but we will argue that later. How do you even know this?"

"High school track coach had us do yoga to help with flexibility. The instructor always had us meditate at the end. But don't worry about that. Just relax. Let your mind flow."

"Fine…" Weiss muttered as she straightened up. Slowly, she felt her body began to relax, but her mind refused to be silenced. Every few moments, it nagged her about something else that needed to be done. About the project she needed to do. About the homework due on Monday. About everything she just wanted to forget. Just for tonight.

* * *

"Really? Still?"

"Yes, Yang. Still. I don't know what you expected, I've told you this isn't something that's new."

"But we've been doing this for a week! Are you telling me you haven't slept through the night once in that entire time?!"

"No Yang, I haven't. That first night was a bit better, but I still woke up at 2 in the morning."

"Huh… Well, I guess it's time to change it up. So," Yang took a step forward, and reached for the mug in Weiss's hand, "No more coffee for…OW!"

"DOLT!" Weiss shouted as the mug flew from Yang's hand and coffee spilled across the floor. "What did you expect to happen?! Did you think my coffee would have magically gotten cold in the past 5 minutes?!"

"I thought it was, based on how you are drinking it like water!"

"Idiot… Help me clean this up, and tell me what your plan is."

"The plan, is for you to limit your caffeine intake. We are gonna keep doing what we have been doing, but minus the coffee. I also got some tea for Blake, and she said that it supposedly helps people sleep."

"I doubt it will work…"

"Hey, it's worth a shot."

* * *

"Are you sure, Ruby? That doesn't seem right…"

"Of course I'm sure, Yang. No wonder you two haven't been making any progress. Do you ever read the things you buy?"

"Of course I do, but I didn't have the box for this."

"Well, I can tell you right now that this is why she hasn't been sleeping. This is green tea. As in, not the one that helps people sleep. It has something else in it that I don't recognize, but I doubt its chamomile or valerian."

"But it's what Blake gave me…"

"Then take it back. She gave you the wrong one on accident."

"But… Uhhhh… Fine. Sorry, Weiss."

The entire time this had been happening, Weiss was sitting on the floor between them, doing her best to meditate. The practice had become natural now, but it was proving to be more effective in focusing her mind then going to sleep. It made assignments easier to deal with, but that wasn't her current problem.

"Just take care of it, Yang. I'll stay here and meditate with Weiss."

"Fine, I'm on it. I'll brew up the right one for you this time, Weiss." And with that, Weiss heard the door close, and Yang was gone.

"I can't believe she didn't recognize green tea. She used to drink the stuff by the gallon…" Ruby muttered as she sat across form Weiss. "And what about you? How did you miss that?"

"Never had tea before," Weiss said simply, not opening her eyes. "My family as always been more into coffee."

"That's fair. I'm still curious how Blake mixed that up. And what that extra herb was in there…"

"Probably catnip…"

"Huh?"

"I looked it up the other night. Some teas add traces of catnip to aid in relaxation. But they tend to label it pretty proximately, since it's a controlled substance for Faunus…"

"Hence no box… Oh god…" Weiss could hear the gentle thud are Ruby laid her head in her hands. "Don't tell Yang that… She would have way too much fun with it."

"Didn't plan on it."

* * *

"So that tea worked?"

"We don't know that, Yang."

"But you just said you slept better than usual last night."

"And I was still out here at 5 in the morning, after laying in my bed for 2 and a half hours. Last night was better, but I'm not cured."

"BAAAAH," Yang groaned, falling back into the couch. "Just what is it? Something made you sleep better last night, but what?"

"Maybe it was the tea, maybe I just meditated better. I don't know, Yang, but why do you even care? Wouldn't you rather spend your time doing something else? Wouldn't you rather be with Blake?"

Yang hesitated a moment at the mention of Blake, but made no move to comment on Weiss's choice of subject. "You're right, there are things I would rather do, but all of them aren't as important as helping a friend."

The comment caught Weiss off-guard, and she quickly realized she didn't have a response. Thankfully, she didn't need one, as Yang continued without missing a beat.

"Besides, I'm the one that screwed up and gave you the wrong tea for almost a week. If I gave up now, what kinda person would I be?"

"The kind that really needs to pick up her side of the room," Came a new voice. Blake now stood in the doorway to the room she and Yang shared, eyes slightly narrowed at Yang. "Come on, Yang, you promised. We need to clean this room."

"Fine…" Yang grunted as the stood from the chair. "We'll figure this out, Weiss. I promise, by the time Ruby does her livestream, we'll figure this out."

Weiss didn't hear that last part, as she now had her head tossed back against the couch, staring at the ceiling, trying to figure out what she would do.

* * *

"You need to find Nora and Blake, and fix this. You, need too. Mom can't cover your ass for this, and I won't even try."

Weiss sat in the common area, listening to everything that Ruby said. The stream had just finished, and the awkward tension in the room was finally started to let up when Ruby started screaming at Yang. Not that it wasn't deserved. What happened was indeed a problem, and Yang needed to take care of it. Still, hearing it coming from Ruby's mouth made it that much more real, that much more present.

Weiss was able to sit in the common area, silent, and watch as Yang's face fell when she realized Blake still refused to look at her, and Nora was nowhere to be found. Weiss watched as Yang silently shuffled to her room, only to emerge moments later with a bag over her shoulder. But thanks to the focus on Yang, no one noticed when Weiss slipped out the door just behind Yang.

They were halfway down the hall before Yang realized she was being followed. With a halfhearted turn, she looked at Weiss, before shifting her gaze to her feet.

"I'm sorry, I won't be able to help tonight…"

Weiss just shook her head, and walked up next to Yang, leaning on a wall with her arms crossed. "Dolt, as if that's why I followed you out here."

"Then why…"

"You fucked up."

"Thanks, Weiss, that exactly what I need to hear."

"Yeah, it kinda is. I know you know this, but I just need to say it. You fucked up. You have a thing for Blake. Don't deny it, even if you haven't flat out said it, with how much time we have spent together the last few weeks, I would have had to be blind to not see it. And then you got drunk, and fucked it up."

"Really getting sick of that word, Weiss."

"But you did. And what it looks like now, to the others in there, is you are running away from the problem. Disappearing to god knows where. So you fucked up again."

"Weiss…"

"Maybe, if you had said you were going to the gym, it wouldn't have looked like you were running away."

"Wait, how did you…"

"Yang, you're not the type to just run away. I know it, you know it. Hell, Ruby knows it too, and that's why she didn't say anything. But does anyone else know that? Does Blake know that? To them, it might look like you're just turning tail and running away."

"But I…"

"Don't preach it to me. Like I said, I already know. But don't bother going back. Not right now. If it looks like I dragged you back, it won't go any better for you. So go to the gym. Work this out. Do what you need to. And when you're ready to talk about this, come talk to me. We can figure this out."

Yang didn't say anything for a moment, she just continued to stare at her feet. When the moment was up, she shifted her gaze to the ceiling. "Why are you doing this?"

"What, am I not allowed to help a friend in need?"

"Wha…?" Yang trailed off, focusing her attention on Weiss, who had now pushed herself off the wall. And in one swift moment, the heiress pulled the large blonde into a gentle embrace.

"I know it hurts right now, and it probably hurts more knowing you caused it. But that just means that you can fix it. So go do what you need to. I'll be here when you're done."

And with that, Weiss turned and returned to the dorm, leaving a confused, but slightly uplifted, Yang standing behind her.

* * *

When Weiss returned to the room, the first thing she noticed was the distinct lack of light. It made her freeze momentarily, as the darkness set in once again. Just a moment later, however, her dim guiding light flicked on, revealing the outline of Ruby near the power outlet.

"Sorry, Weiss, I unplugged your light, it cast a weird shadow behind me when I was streaming."

Ruby was trying to hold it together, and was actually doing surprisingly well. But Weiss could still tell that there was something off for the younger girl. That something didn't feel quite right. So, without saying a word, Weiss walked over next to brunette, and wrapped her in the same hug she had just given her sister.

"Don't worry about it, Ruby. I understand."

A simple sentence, but I cared some many meanings. Weiss understood about the light. Weiss understood why she yelled at Yang. Weiss understood the confusion that ran through Ruby's mind. And most of all, Weiss understood the feeling of being lost. Lost because she just sent her sister off to solve the problem. Lost because she refused to help, even though she so wanted to. And lost, because she herself didn't know what to do now.

Slowly, Ruby returned the embrace, burying her face into Weiss's shoulder. She didn't say anything, but simply accepted the sentiment behind the action.

But when Weiss went to pull away, Ruby only pulled her closer, mumbling into her shoulder.

"Please don't go…"

With a sigh and a smile, Weiss slowly guided Ruby over to her bed, and gently worked her down into it. She arranged the covers over their bodies, and gently rubbed Ruby's back until she felt the brunette's breath ease down into her usual sleeping rhythm.

But the grip did not loosen. No matter how much Weiss tried, she couldn't get the younger girl to release her, not that Weiss fought very hard. With one final sigh, Weiss simply decided to let it be. It might not be her bed, and neither of them had changed, but that wasn't going to make a difference. Weiss wasn't going to sleep any more either way.

And so she closed her eyes, and allowed herself to be embraced by the younger girl. If this was how she was gonna spend the night, she might as well get comfortable.

* * *

Daylight shone through the crack in the curtain, and worked its way down the bed until finally resting across Weiss' eyes. Slowly, it brought the heiress back to the world of the living. She squinted and held her hand up, blocking the intruding sunlight. And through her squinted eyes, she noticed her bed partner.

Ruby was lying next to her, a tired smile resting on her lips. With a quick turn, Weiss looked across the room at her own bed, and realized what had happened. She babbled momentarily as she tried to find the words to get out of this situation, but none came to mind. Thankfully, Ruby interrupted her before she went on for too long.

"Relax, Weiss, I remember last night," Ruby said gently, hugging Weiss closer. "Thank you, though… For being here."

Weiss heard Ruby's words and returned the hug, but only barely. She was too wrapped up in her own realization. Her realization that she had slept through the night, for the first time in longer than she could remember. The realization that there was a common factor between the best night's sleeps she had gotten in the past month. That there was a solution to her sleep problem.

And that common factor… was Ruby.

* * *

 **AN: Noble: BAH BAH BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! PLOT TWIST!**

 **Peace: I don't think that's how plot twists work…**

 **Noble: PLOT TWIST!**

 **Peace: But really, considering us, is that a surprise at all?**

 **Noble: We really are...casual...with our plot twists aren't we? Like, we really just throw them around as if they are not that important.**

 **Peace: It's almost like there has been some warning to what is coming… since the beginning…**

 **Noble: Well, now that will give everyone something to think about. Anyway, we wanted to address a guest review that we received last chapter. To answer your question, no. Lancaster will not be showing up in this fic.**

 **Peace: Yeah, you can want it bud, but it ain't happening… We aren't gonna leave you hanging waiting for that.**

 **Noble: We had this main relationship pretty much mapped out from when this story came about, and we also have plans for Jaune as well, so calm thy tits...kidding. We actually appreciate the politeness when you asked, and we hope that we didn't disappoint you too much with our answer.**

 **Peace: Doesn't mean the answer is gonna change though.**

 **Noble: But hey, sleepy Weiss is a thing instead. Seriously though, does meditation actually help with sleep? Because I can never focus myself enough to do that. Granted ADHD is a pretty bad problem that I have, so that don't help.**

 **Peace: Don't bitch, I got it too and I meditate fine. And it can help with sleep, but I don't recommend you try it first. It more focuses your mind then shuts it up.**

 **Noble: Fair enough. Thanks again for tuning in to this chapter of Room 205, feel free to follow/fave/review at your own discretion, and we hope to see you again next week!**

 **Peace: Peace out!**

 **Noble:...Did you seriously just make that pun?**

 **(Tumbleweed)**


	22. Stuck in the Middle With You

"What do you mean there isn't anything that you can do to help me?"

Pyrrha was frustrated to say the least. She was walking back to her dorm room while having a conversation with her mother along the way. Having gotten past the need to use crutches, Pyrrha was happy that she could walk normally, despite her foot still being in a medical boot. Unfortunately, she couldn't drive herself back home for the Thanksgiving holiday. Pyrrha tried to suggest her parents get her a plane ticket, but as she was just now arguing with her mother about it, the likelihood of that was slim as well.

"It means that we can't do that," Pyrrha's mother said. "As easy as it would be, I don't feel comfortable leaving your car down there for almost a week while you're up here. You have a pretty expensive car, and I don't want to see it get stolen or vandalized."

"Mom, you know that I paid for this car myself, right?" Pyrrha reminded her mother. "If anything happens, it's covered under the insurance. I could probably get it replaced, or I would just end up getting something else instead. Are you really that paranoid, Mom?"

"Yes, I'm that paranoid," Pyrrha heard her mother respond from the other end of the phone. "I'm sure your school would be able to house you for the time that you're on break, and you would be able to get any school work done. It is probably for the best since you can't drive this far to come home."

Pyrrha huffed as she reached the front door to her dorm building. At this point, she wasn't going to reach through to her mother. "Fine, I'll figure something out then," Pyrrha conceded.

"Look, I don't like this any more than you do," Pyrrha's mother admitted. "Unfortunately, because you're still in a boot, I know you won't be able to drive up home on your own. And it's like I said, I don't trust you leaving your car down in that area at all."

"Alright, I get it, Mom," Pyrrha said, entering the dorm. "I guess I have some planning to do then, not like it's going to be easy finding a place to stay during the break." What Pyrrha failed to notice upon entering the dorm was that Ruby was in the kitchen grabbing a glass of milk for herself. "Look, I gotta go, Mom. I'll let you know what I end up doing." Hanging up the phone, Pyrrha huffed and stared up at the ceiling.

"Everything alright, Pyrrha?"

Hearing a second voice call out to her surprised Pyrrha, and she jumped at hearing Ruby speak. "Oh god, how long have you been there for?"

"Enough to know that you've got some kind of problem going on," Ruby mentioned. "Did I hear something about you needing a place to stay for the break?"

"Well, despite no longer needing crutches, the boot is still a pain in the rear for me to drive home in, especially given how short of a time frame I'd be there for," Pyrrha replied. "Add in the fact that a plane ticket is out of the question, and I won't be going home for Thanksgiving."

"Well, you could stay with Yang and I," Ruby suggested. "I mean, if you really wanted to, of course. My parents wouldn't mind actually, they're pretty cool like that."

Pyrrha chuckled at Ruby's stumbling, the young girl seemed nervous about asking her. ' _Both her and Weiss, they really are cute,_ ' Pyrrha thought to herself.

"If it's alright with your family, then I would love to stay with you for Thanksgiving," Pyrrha finally said after watching Ruby sweat a little bit.

"Really? Awesome!" Ruby beamed. She was truly excited to have her friend spend the holiday with her. "I'll go call my mom real quick and let her know about this!" Ruby then ran off to her own room so that she could iron out the details of this sudden arrangement.

Pyrrha just smiled and shook her head. She thought it was endearing how Ruby was so enthusiastic at times, it always brought a warm feeling to her heart, one that she had been experiencing at an increased rate, both around Weiss and Ruby mostly.

One thing was certain, while those feelings were strange to Pyrrha, they weren't unwelcome. Pyrrha always enjoyed the warmth she got from spending time with Ruby and Weiss, from all her friends in fact.

While Pyrrha was thinking about this, she failed to notice Ruby return into the common room before the shorter girl spoke up.

"So, my mom said that you could stay over for the Thanksgiving break!" Ruby cheered. "When is your last class on Tuesday?"

"It ends around 1:30," Pyrrha responded.

"Cool, I end around the same time, but Yang isn't done until way later in the day that day, so I could just arrange to drive over with you. I heard you mention your mom being paranoid about leaving your car in the area, so I figure it works out."

"Alright, that sounds good to me," Pyrrha replied. "I'll start getting some stuff together. Oh, by the way, you guys wouldn't happen to watch the games that air on Thanksgiving, right?"

"Yang watches, though I'm not really into that kind of stuff, if you couldn't tell," Ruby mentioned. "But yeah, the games will be watched. Why, you have a team that plays on Thursday?"

"You could say something like that," Pyrrha commented. "I'd let your family know that while the game is on, I'm gonna be loud. Just warning you now." Pyrrha then closed the door to her room so that she could begin packing, one thought going through her mind as she did so.

' _This is going to be so much fun._ '

* * *

The car ride, in short description,took forever. But with Ruby being a somewhat talkative person when she was around people that she knew, the drive felt like it went by quicker with the conversation that they had made.

Ruby had eventually drifted off for a nap, though. She had stayed up all night doing some of the homework that would need to be done over the break, saying that she wanted to get a head start on most of the work that needed to be done. It looked right now as if she had been up to three in the morning doing the work.

Pyrrha didn't mind, the drive was tiring for the both of them. Ruby navigated with her phone up until they got onto the huge stretch of highway that they needed to take.

Eventually, they arrived at Ruby's home, with Ruby still sound asleep.

Ruby's phone GPS started to ding when they pulled up to the house.

Pyrrha pulled up to the curb in front and shifted the car into park.

Looking over at the younger girl, Pyrrha went to wake her up, but was stopped for a moment at what sat next to her.

Ruby's head was slumped downward and to her right side, her mouth hanging open slightly.

Pyrrha craned her neck slightly to see that there was a small trail of saliva trickling out the side of Ruby's mouth.

Pyrrha forced down a small laugh and shook the girl's shoulder. "Ruby?" she asked.

"Huh wuh?" Ruby asked as her eyes groggily fluttered open.

"We just got to your house." Pyrrha informed her. "Rise and shine." she said with a teasing tone.

Ruby gave a small yawn, which almost sounded like a puppy's own yawn, and rubbed her eyes to try and rid herself of the tired feeling.

"Crud… Did I sleep the rest of the way?" She asked.

"Yeah." Pyrrha said plainly.

Ruby looked slightly panicked at that point.

"I'm so sorry! I completely fell asleep on you! I was going to keep you company on the ride so that you didn't get insanely incredibly bored. Why didn't I give myself some more sleep last night!?" Ruby's machinegun mouth went to work at the pleas for forgiveness and apologies.

Pyrrha shook her head, which stopped Ruby's words from flowing out.

"Don't worry about it, Ruby. You looked incredibly tired anyway. To be honest, I expected you to fall asleep at some point."

"Are you sure it's fine?" Ruby asked.

Pyrrha only nodded her head once more with a large smile and opened the driver side door, opening the trunk for them to retrieve their bags.

When Pyrrha looked over at Ruby, she saw the girl seeming to take in the sight of being at her home once more.

Looking over to the house, Pyrrha finally got a full on view of the house in person. While Pyrrha had been to Ruby's house once before, she didn't get a good look at the exterior, considering it was close to dinner time when they got there. Now that it was midday, Pyrrha could get a good look at what the exterior of the house entailed.

This entire residence area was one of those copy-and-paste establishments where all of the houses looked almost exactly the same save for color.

The house was two stories tall and long. To the right of the house, two garage doors rested under a single room, the edge of the roof ejecting outward slightly and then angling upwards for the roof. The driveway, in which sat a deep red SUV and a white compact, lead to a pathway which curved towards a short set of stairs up to the porch and front door. And the right of the house was Pyrrha assumed the bedrooms were located

The sidings of the house were painted a sky blue, and the window shutters were black. White lining edged around the house.

In essence, the house really stood out from the rest which had been painted blander colors.

"Come on." Ruby said. "They said that there was rain in the forecast, so let's get inside before that shows up."

* * *

By Thursday, Pyrrha was really grateful to Ruby for letting her stay for the break. She could only imagine how it would have gone if she was stuck at the school. Pyrrha looked over at the clock and saw that it was really early in the morning, much earlier than she had anticipated waking up at.

Fortunately, Pyrrha had a good idea of what she could do with her time while she waited. Normally, if Pyrrha was up really early, she would go out for a jog. That became much harder to do with a boot on her foot, so she was stuck to walking on a treadmill if she wanted to get some exercise in the mornings.

However, Pyrrha decided to bring her guitar with her when she came over to Ruby's place, giving her something that she could do instead. Grabbing a pair of headphones, Pyrrha unpacked her guitar and plugged the two together so that she could listen to what she was playing, without waking up everyone in the house.

Pyrrha decided to give her memory a try, seeing if she could nail a song she hadn't worked on in a little bit. Her ankle fracture allowed her to have time to practice since she couldn't do much in terms of exercise, but she still liked to play things from memory if possible.

As she started playing the first few rhythms, Pyrrha started to get into the music much more, rocking out to what she was creating for herself. As she went through, she eventually started to hum along with the music, remembering to keep herself quiet.

"Don't listen what your girlfriend says, she reads those magazines…"

It was, however, all she could get out before Pyrrha heard a knock at the door, and a mumbled call from someone on the other side.

"Pyrrha, are you awake right now?" Pyrrha heard Ruby call from the other side of the door.

"Yeah, come on in," Pyrrha replied, pulling the headphones off of her head. She took a look at Ruby and saw someone who looked ready to go for a run.

"Hey, I didn't realize you were up this early," Ruby said. "I was actually about to head out for a jog, so I was wondering...wait...oh god...I forgot you are still in a boot, and you probably don't want to hear about how I'm going for a jog, and you probably don't want to be asked because you would have to say no, and then that would make me feel bad for asking and you upset because I reminded you that you can't go for a run because of the boot...I'm going to shut up now."

Pyrrha opened her mouth as if she was going to reply, only to start chuckling to herself instead. "It's all good, Ruby," She said after a second. Deep down, though, she was jealous of Ruby for being able to walk normally and go out for an early morning run. "I guess I'll just head out into the other room and relax for a bit."

"Yeah, sorry about that," Ruby said as she watched her friend put the guitar back into its case. "So, how long have you been playing guitar for?"

"A couple years now," Pyrrha replied. "I always wanted to play and eventually bought it for myself. Been playing since I started high school five years ago. Oh god, it's been that long since I started high school?"

"Don't remind me," Ruby grumbled. "I feel like it was yesterday that I was starting my freshman year."

"You got skipped ahead a year, so it's a much closer gap for you than it is for me," Pyrrha reminded Ruby. As they walked into the living room, the two of them failed to notice something that occupied the couch. Pyrrha walked over and was about to sit down on top of it.

Instead of just sitting down like normal, Pyrrha jumped up and landed on the couch, and the person laying on top of it.

"Oomf," The person underneath Pyrrha called out in pain.

"Oh my god!" Pyrrha shouted as she jolted up off the couch and looked down at what it was she just sat on. What was funny, she sat on a man who looked like he just walked into the house and passed out after a night of drinking. He wore a gray button down shirt that revealed the top half of his chest, and his jet black hair was slicked back. His chin had some stubble on it, and his red eyes were a surprise to see.

"Jesus, Ruby," The man called out, believing that the person who sat on him was Ruby. "Didn't you notice that I was...who are you?" The man asked Pyrrha, adopting a much more serious and threatening tone.

"UNCLE QROW!" Ruby shouted and jumped over the couch onto the man in question, wrapping her arms around him in the process.

"Oomf, not again," The man Pyrrha assumed was Qrow said.

"Hi!" Ruby said as she looked up at him. "Oh it's so good to see you! Did you miss me, did you miss me?!" Ruby's excitement grew bigger and bigger as she spoke, which only served to put a smile on Qrow's face.

"Hehe, nope," Qrow joked before scuffling Ruby's hair and pushing her off of him so he could sit up. "So, I take it you're one of Ruby's friends then?"

"I am," Pyrrha said in response. "My name's Pyrrha, one of Ruby and Yang's roommates at school."

"Qrow Branwen," Qrow commented. "I'm Ruby and Yang's uncle. Hope those two aren't getting on your nerves too much, especially this one right here." Qrow chuckled as he poked his thumb in Ruby's direction.

"Hey!" Ruby called out.

"Qrow, what are you doing here this early in the morning?"

Everyone turned and noticed that Summer had woken up, and was now down in the living room. "I got in last night after everyone was asleep, hope you don't mind," Qrow replied.

"You slept on the couch?"

"Yeah, didn't want to miss any of the fun," Qrow explained. "Besides, I didn't wake any of you guys up."

"You literally live above the bar," Summer went on. "You could have crashed there and then woken up in the morning and driven over here...wait, don't tell me you drove over here while you were-"

"Relax Summer," Qrow interrupted. "I may like to drink, but I'm not stupid. I took a bus over to the station a mile over and walked the rest of the way. Just relax. Didn't mean to wake you, but Ruby's friend over here didn't notice me on the couch and flopped down on top of my stomach."

"Did you remember to grab everything that you needed for today?" Summer asked.

"Yes, they're in this bag I have over here," Qrow said, pointing to a backpack that was sitting next to the couch. "It's all good, though I'm gonna hit the shower real quick. Catch you later, kiddo."

The three ladies watched as Qrow stood up and walked on over to where the shower was, a sigh escaping Summer's lips as she watched him leave. "I'm sorry about him, I hope he didn't scare you too much," Summer said to Pyrrha.

"It's all good," Pyrrha replied. "I guess I do deserve it for landing on top of him while he was asleep."

"Yeah, don't worry, he's had worse," Summer said. "Anyway, I'm assuming you're going for a jog, Ruby?"

"Yep, though I wish Pyrrha could do something," Ruby lamented. "I feel bad because I reminded her about her boot, and it sucked because we could've gone jogging together, and-"

"Rubbles," Summer interrupted before Ruby went on rambling. "You do remember that we have a treadmill she can use if she wants down in the basement, right?"

"OH MY GOSH I FORGOT!" Ruby exclaimed before grabbing Pyrrha's hand and all but dragging her to the treadmill Summer was speaking of.

As she watched her daughter having fun with her friend, Summer thought of how much she had grown, and it brought a smile to her face. ' _You're destined to go far, and with friends like her, I know you'll make it anywhere you can dream of._ '

* * *

As the day went on, Ruby, Pyrrha, and Yang sat in the Xiao Long basement, watching the first of three games. Ruby and Yang's Uncle Qrow was down in the basement at the bar that was there, pouring himself a drink. Pyrrha had her laptop open and was messaging Jaune, Nora, and Weiss online. After a few minutes, she finally convinced everyone to join in a video call online so that they could all chat with each other.

After hearing the first sounds of her roommate, Pyrrha was a little surprised by what she heard.

"ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?! WHAT KIND OF BULLSHIT IS THAT?!"

Oh the lovely sounds of Nora Valkyrie screaming loudly. Ever since the events of Ruby's livestream, Nora hadn't been as enthusiastic as before. It was something that everyone seemed to notice, though they also saw that Nora and Blake were getting along much better.

"And a fine hello to you too, Nora," Pyrrha mentioned, her hands held close up to her ears while her body tensed up at the loud noises upon entering the call. "I take it you're watching the game too?"

"Yeah, and it's bullshit already!" Nora complained.

"Jeez, I'm glad to find that some things haven't changed," Weiss mentioned as she also joined the call. "Nora being loud and vulgar, what a surprise."

"It could be worse, though."

Now that voice that came through Pyrrha's speakers was a surprise. Everyone seemed to be stunned when they saw that Blake had joined. Hearing her voice, though, Yang seemed to shy away from the computer just a bit more.

While the two of them hadn't fully repaired their relationship, they managed to work things out for the time being. They agreed to leave each other alone while the rest of the semester was going on so that they didn't cause any arguments or problems, agreeing that the winter break would've given them a good chance to get over any lingering feelings they had for each other. As painful as it was, Yang really wanted to talk with Blake, but felt as though she couldn't.

"Hey, Blake!" Ruby cheered, the only person to fully do so. "How's your break going?"

"It's kinda lonely up here right now," Blake admitted. "So, I felt like chatting with you guys. Hope you don't mind."

Pyrrha decided to get Yang involved in the conversation. "You not gonna say hello to your roommate, Yang?"

From over at the corner of the couch, Yang just shrugged her shoulders.

"Ok, Pyrrha, turn me towards Yang, I got something to say to her," Blake said sternly. Upon seeing the blonde, Blake continued. "Just because we aren't getting along doesn't mean that I don't like talking to you. So get your head out of your ass and actually join this conversation, because I would hate to be the reason you didn't hang with everyone."

The room went dead quiet, including the people in the call. All except for one person who happened to be listening in on them.

"You should listen to her, firecracker," Qrow spoke up. "Don't just leave your friends hanging. Even if you got problems with them, don't let them ruin your fun." Leaving it at that, Qrow finished his drink before pouring himself another and heading back upstairs. "You kids have fun, and GO EAGLES!"

"GO EAGLES!" Nora shouted in kind. "See, that guy knows whats up."

"Yeah, that's my Uncle Qrow for you," Yang said as she slid down the couch and closer to the camera. "Pyrrha, is there any way for you to make it so we can all see them?"

"Maybe," Pyrrha replied. "Though, don't be surprised if it doesn't work out."

After taking a few seconds, Pyrrha finally decided to put her laptop on the table in front of the couch, and pulled Ruby and Yang right next to her. Subtly, she wrapped her arm around Ruby, hoping that no one would notice. "Does this work for you, Yang?" Pyrrha asked.

"Yeah, sounds good," Yang replied. "Hey, so how has everyone's break been going?"

"Ren and I went out to volunteer at a soup kitchen earlier today," Nora replied. "Oh, come on! That was totally pass interference! What kind of zebra are you?!"

"Nora, calm down," Ren said from the background. "Anyway, it's something we've always done, so it was just natural."

"I bet your parents are really proud of you for doing that," Jaune blurted out loud. Immediately, Pyrrha glared at Jaune, silently telling him to shut up. She remembered what it was that Nora told her while they got to know each other at the beginning of the semester.

"Eh, too bad my parents are dead," Nora flatly replied. "Hard to be proud of me when I've never even met them."

Everything went silent as no one knew what to say, only to be interrupted when Nora once again yelled at the tv.

"Um, Nora?" Blake asked. "You alright?"

"What? The guy totally dropped the ball like an idiot!" Nora said, shouting at her tv during that last part.

"No, I think she means when you mentioned...you know," Weiss elaborated.

"Oh that," Nora said. "Yeah, I got over it a long time ago. Don't worry, you didn't know, Jaune, I won't beat you too badly."

"What?!" Jaune questioned.

"Just kidding," Nora said. "Now come on, no need to keep this call gloomy. Someone turn that frown upside-ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?! SANCHEZ YOU PIECE OF SHIT, GO CHOKE ON 20 DICKS!"

"And on that note," Ruby declared. "I vote we change the topic!" She was met with a chorus of varying agreements from everyone.

* * *

Within the next hour, Ruby's mom had called down to the three that were in the basement to come upstairs. Dinner was finally ready to be served.

The three quickly said their brief farewells to their friends over skype and Pyrrha muted the call so that nothing could be heard from upstairs.

Yang was the one who charged up first, ready to eat.

When they got to the top, they heard Yang say, "I haven't eaten since last night. I wanted to have as much room for the food as possible." she said.

Ruby's mom smiled at her oldest daughter. "Well, I'm glad that you did cause there is plenty to go around."

Pyrrha's eyes turned to the dining room table and saw the absolute smorgasbord that was laid out for everyone to view.

In the center of the table was the best looking bird that Pyrrha had ever seen. Her father was the one who cooked in her house, and he was a good cook, but the mere sight of this turkey easily blew his out of the water. It was browned to perfection, and the basted glaze on the outside gave it a gleam that reflected the light from the overhanging chandelier that hung above the table. Spices and garnishes were lightly spread over the skin of the bird and placed around the base on the platter.

Other dishes surrounded the main spectacle, of course.

Mashed potatoes, Sweet potatoes, creamed corn, cranberry sauce, asparagus, stuffing, salad and of course, bread.

Pyrrha noticed that her mouth was hanging open slightly and she quickly closed it.

Ruby walked over to one of the chairs and took a seat. "Here, Pyrrha, sit next to me." she said, gesturing to the seat next to her.

"Uhh, sure." Pyrrha said as she took the seat next to Ruby.

Pyrrha sat down on the cushioned chair and pushed herself in.

Looking around, she saw Yang and her uncle sitting across the table from them, and Summer and Taiyang sitting at both heads of the table.

"You really outdid yourself this year." Taiyang said to his wife. "When the kids go back to school, we're going to be able to have this last us at least two weeks." he commented.

"They don't eat that much." Summer said with a smile.

"Lies." Qrow said, grinning at Yang who was shoveling food onto her plate. "They can put more food away than a pack of elephants."

"Are you calling me fat?" Yang asked, her shoveling ceased.

"Nobody said that, Sis." Ruby said plainly.

"He did. He called me fat!" Yang said, turning to her uncle. She cracked her knuckles.

"I didn't say that, firecracker. Calm it down. Besides, do you really think you can take me in a fight?" he asked.

Yang gave a deep breath and turned back around, knowing that it would be a fight that she would surely lose.

"Aaannyyway." Summer said, quickly changing the topic so that everyone could forget that last part. "Everyone dig in and enjoy."

"Thanks for the food." Pyrrha said before she began to pick out all the great looking food that was scattered about the table.

During the time of them eating, they got into many different conversations.

Pyrrha found out that Yang and Ruby's uncle ran a bar in town known as "The Crowbar" which was a small pun that he seemed to be very proud of.

As the dinner progressed, a TV in the background showed the Eagles game. It even showed the moment when they suffered their crushing defeat.

Pyrrha swore she could hear Nora cussing a storm in the skype call all the way from downstairs.

Qrow's mood seemed to sink slightly, and Taiyang began to tease his friend about the horrible loss.

"Oh noooo! How sad! Maybe next year, ey Qrow?" Taiyang said, nudging Qrow on the elbow.

"Mmhmm." Qrow responded, now completely uninterested in the game.

Finally, the dinner started to come to a close. Everyone's main dishes had been put away, and now they were taking slices from pumpkin and apple pies.

Setting down her fork, Yang looked around the table and saw that everyone else was finishing up their own slices of pie.

"Hey, so uh, I got something that I just, wanted to say." Yang addressed the table.

"Ok? What is it?" Taiyang asked, setting down his own fork which had a chunk of apple stabbed into it.

Yang took a deep breath, as if she was preparing to say something very heavy.

She was.

"Mom, Dad, Uncle Qrow," Yang paused "I'm bi." she finally spit it out fully. The truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth… even if said truth was just a single sentence.

"What?" Tai said, with minor disbelief. If he had been eating the piece of pie that was on the end of his fork, there was a chance that it could have fallen out of his mouth due to it now hanging open slightly.

"I knew that already," Summer said at the same time as her husband. She had a mischievous and knowing smile plastered across her face.

"What?!" Both Tai and Yang said at once.

"And you didn't tell me?" Taiyang asked.

"First of all, I was the one who found you back during the 4th of July, remember?" Summer reminded Yang, holding up one of her fingers and ignoring Taiyang for the time being.

"Thanks for bringing that up again, Mom," Yang said, lowering her head and blushing bright red with embarrassment.

"Second," Summer continued, holding up another finger. "I'm in the NSA, information is my job. I just happen to use it to keep an eye on my daughter's well being. It's why I'm so good as a mother, because I know what's going on with you most of the time."

"You know, I had my suspicions, but I honestly didn't think it was my business to ask," Qrow said with a grin and a shrug.

"Jeez, what else do you know?" Yang pleaded with her mother to know what she knew.

"Well I know that your friend Pyrrha is also bi." Summer responded.

 _Time seemed to freeze as everyone processed what was said_

Pyrrha had been drinking a glass of water and had to hold herself back from spitting out her drink completely over Ruby.

"Mom! It's not cool to spy on my friends!" Ruby whined at her mother.

"Hey, I know it isn't a good thing, but I just want to make sure you're doing alright. You have some great friends," Summer turned to Pyrrha. "Sorry about the spying thing, I'm sure you can understand. Really though, I'm glad that Ruby has such a wonderful friend such as you." Summer explained.

"Um, thanks?" Pyrrha said, not really sure how to respond to the older woman.

"Well, now that we got that out of the way, who wants more pie?" Qrow said as he grabbed the knife.

* * *

"Ah, now this is what I call a game," Pyrrha said as she was relaxing on the couch in Ruby's basement. With the Thanksgiving dinner finished, Pyrrha had grabbed her jersey and was in the throes of watching her favorite football team play, the Green Bay Packers.

"I'm surprised you're a fan of the team, when you said you used to go to the University of Chicago, I figured you would route for the Bears," Yang mentioned, more in tune with sports and football than Ruby would ever be.

"Me, a Bears fan?" Pyrrha laughed at the notion. "Get the hell outta here with that shit. I bleed green and gold, blondie."

"I think it's fair to say that you're one of the worst out of all of us when it comes to sports, but after hearing Nora cursing like a sailor earlier today, it doesn't even compare," Weiss commented through the laptop. After dinner was finished, Ruby, Pyrrha, and Yang returned to the call and joined with their friends once more. "And on that note, I'm about to go eat with my family, I'll be back on later."

"Alright, see ya later, Weiss," Ruby said to her roommate.

"Bye, Weiss!" Pyrrha called out, while Yang just grunted in acknowledgement, before Weiss' camera turned off and her name dropped from the list of people in the call.

"To be fair," Nora said by that point, also in the call. "We found out that Blake's a closet Panthers fan. I think that wins the day."

"Yeah, I don't see how that makes any sense," Jaune mentioned from his camera. "Unless, Blake, did you live in either of the Carolinas at any point?"

"No?" Blake responded.

"Hey, at least my team makes sense, seeing as how I live up near Milwaukee!" Pyrrha called out from her seat on the couch. "And be prepared for it to get loud in here. I'm gonna be cheering for my team after all."

"I thought you lived near Chicago, you attended the University there," Ruby commented.

"While I used to go to the University of Chicago, I actually live up near Milwaukee Wisconsin, right in cheesehead territory," Pyrrha replied.

"How long of a drive is it usually for you to get home?" Yang asked. "I figure it'd take a while, huh."

"12 hours one way."

"Jeez," Ruby reacted. "No wonder you couldn't drive up home for the break. That long of a trip in a boot would definitely make me crazy, especially if I was driving that trip."

"Aaaaand thanks for reminding me of this damn boot," Pyrrha grumbled. "My stupid foot is itchy and I can't scratch it."

"Ouch," Yang commented.

"It could be worse," Jaune mentioned through the camera. "You could be stuck here at home with all seven of your sisters."

"You have seven sisters?" Nora asked. "I bet we don't make things any easier on you at school."

"Would you believe me if I said that I was hoping that I could escape all of the estrogen when I got to school?" Jaune asked.

"Yeah," Yang commented. "But I bet finding out you're living with us doesn't make things any better."

"It certainly didn't help," Jaune replied.

"Well, at least we keep things interesting," Ruby jumped in.

"That you do," Jaune said.

Pyrrha thought back to a part of the conversation from dinner, something that she was sure was pertinent to everyone. Thinking about it for a second, she pulled Ruby to the side in order to ask her privately first.

"What's up?" Ruby asked once they were secluded enough.

"Should we mention to everyone that your mother is pretty much spying on all of us?" Pyrrha asked.

Pondering it for a second, Ruby had to agree that Pyrrha did bring up a good point. However, she didn't want to cause any problems with them, especially since Weiss also wasn't around. "Nah, we can do that later."

"Let them remain oblivious?" Pyrrha suggested. "I like the way you think." Returning to the conversation, Pyrrha couldn't help but smile at this little harmless joke that Ruby and her were playing.

* * *

As the game went on, Pyrrha was really unsure of how it would turn out. Her team wasn't playing well, and she would be one of the first to admit it. Still, it was close enough that the game was interesting to say the least. Still, part of her felt as though she couldn't be as rambunctious as she normally would while watching a game at home. She didn't want to be rude to Ruby and Yang's parents, who had taken her in under the kindness of their hearts.

After seeing a particularly bad play, however, she just couldn't help herself. "What the fuck are you doing out there?!" Pyrrha shouted as loudly as she could.

"Yang, watch your language!" Everyone heard Summer shout from upstairs. Immediately, Yang just looked confused, not having done anything wrong.

"THAT WASN'T ME, I SWEAR!" Yang shouted back.

Ruby just broke out into laughter and Pyrrha stood there, awkwardly waiting for the fury to transfer over to her.

"You really should have phrased that better, Yang," Blake commented, amused by the grief that Yang just received.

"Oh you like seeing me get in trouble, don't you," Yang grumbled.

"Yang, be nice," Ruby commented after hearing what Yang said. "That wasn't necessary and you know it."

"Ruby, just let it go," Blake commented back. "It's just a thing that the two of us have to deal with on our own."

The conversation died for a little bit after that, even as Weiss returned from eating dinner with her family. Only the sounds of Pyrrha watching the game itself resonated in the room, as well as the occasional banter from within the group call.

At a certain point in the game, however, Pyrrha noticed something that had caught her eye, and lit a fire in her soul. The camera was focused on a group of fans that were at the game before sending it to a commercial break. But what Pyrrha noted most was the people who were in the camera's focus: her family.

"Oh my god," Pyrrha said, though she was angry at what she just saw. "You have got to be fucking kidding me."

"Um, everything alright?" Ruby asked, taking a look at the tv and noting what Pyrrha had also seen.

"I can't believe that they would do this," Pyrrha muttered to herself before walking over to the bar, contemplating whether or not it would be a good idea to grab a drink for herself. "Of all the things they could have done, they ended up doing this?"

"Who did what now?" Yang asked.

"My parents went to the game without me!" Pyrrha shouted. "I just saw them on screen right before the commercial break!"

"Wait, really?" Jaune asked. "That's rude of them. They couldn't bring you home to do that with them?"  
"Exactly the point!" Pyrrha continued to complain. "They had four tickets. Between my parents and brother, they also brought my aunt who absolutely hates the sport! They couldn't bother to bring me home so that I could go with them?"

"Sounds like some bad parents if you ask me," Jaune commented.

"They have their faults, I'll admit that," Pyrrha began to explain as she returned to the couch. "I still love them, though, even if they can be idiots at times."

By that point the game was close to ending, Pyrrha was on the edge of her seat, and once the final seconds ticked off, her team losing, she felt even worse.

Ruby sat next to her and wrapped an arm around her friend. "Hey, cheer up, Pyrrha," Ruby said. "At least you aren't at the game getting soaked and having lost."

Pyrrha had to hand it to Ruby, she certainly had a way of putting things into perspective. "Thanks, Ruby," Pyrrha admitted. "And, on the plus side, I get to still spend the rest of the break hanging out with one of my best friends." Pyrrha returned the hug in earnest, letting Ruby enjoy the moment with her friend. ' _She really knows how to brighten my day up_.'

After the game ended, Pyrrha, Ruby, and Yang hung out with everyone else in the call for a while before they eventually turned in for the night.

As Pyrrha was falling asleep, she remembered the warmth she felt from Ruby, how it had resonated within her and filled her with happiness, a feeling she felt from the younger girl's roommate as well. Pyrrha couldn't fall asleep right away, her thoughts filled with confusing emotions.

' _God, why can't I get this out of my head?_ " Pyrrha thought to herself as she tossed and turned in the guest bedroom. ' _Do I have feelings for Weiss, or Ruby?_ '

* * *

 **AN: Noble:Well, do you think all the people who kept saying that this was going to be White Rose guaranteed are rethinking that decision now?**

 **Angel: I believe so. If they haven't then I guess we may need to be a little more blunt.**

 **Noble: Eh, it's like I told Gorsouul in response to a review: don't judge a book by it's cover. Things aren't exactly as they appear, however, that doesn't mean things are off the table. Is it White Rose? Maybe. Is it something else? Maybe. You'll just have to wait and find out.**

 **Angel: That is still a while down the road until we find out. You wanna know why?**

 **Noble: Why?**

 **Angel: Filler!**

 **Noble: Angel, feel shame as a standard action!**

 **Angel: But it's the truth!**

 **Noble: Regardless, it's not something we're going to go onto it right now. Anyway, onto other things, we are having a mailbag episode for our podcast! You have questions for us, then send them in!**

 **Angel: Think of absolutely anything that you may want to know about anyone in the legion! We'll answer it!**

 **Noble: They could be about personal works, 205 (non-spoiler related of course), or just questions that you feel like asking. Regardless, you can send them to us via our personal fanfiction accounts, gmail, reddit, etc. Please send us your questions, we'd love to answer them.**

 **And on that note, thank you for tuning in to this week, we hope you guys have enjoyed this chapter! We'll see you next week!**

 **Angel: See ya!**

 **(Tumbleweed)**


	23. Shine a Light on This

"Hey, Weiss?" Ruby asked from across the bedroom. "You have any idea when the exams are going to be?"

"Should be fairly soon," Weiss replied, turning away from her computer. "Couple weeks at the most. Why?"

"I've got a paper due in western civ on our final exam day," Ruby replied, pointing to her right-hand monitor. "I'm almost halfway done with it, and I wanted to make sure I had time to send it to the writing center to get it checked over."

"The writing center is going to be closed until after winter break," Weiss replied.

"Awww," Ruby groaned. "The instructor didn't even assign it until just before thanksgiving break!"

Weiss shrugged. "I could help if you'd like," she replied as she moved her chair over to Ruby's desk. "What is it about?"

"How computers have changed the course of technology," Ruby stated. "Trying to argue that computers have been one of the biggest contributors to society right now."

"Well, i might be able to take a look at it for you," Weiss replied "I've got the time, since my work is already done. Plus, my computer is still running slower than dirt, so I need to step away from it."

"Well, at least your computer parts should be arriving to the school today," Ruby mentioned once Weiss sat over in front of her computer. "I can help you put it together too once we get this paper done."

"I would appreciate that, yes," Weiss responded. She started to scan through the words that Ruby already had, checking that everything seemed right with what was already there. Once she finished that, she would make any corrections she felt were needed, and help Ruby brainstorm ideas for the rest of her paper. Once that was done, Weiss planned on scanning through it again for any other errors.

Weiss chuckled to herself as she read through the words, prompting a confused look from her redheaded friend. "What's so funny?"

"You know, sometimes I just forget that you were moved ahead a year," Weiss mentioned. "The way this paper is worded seems off, but the context of the paper is well beyond most people's creativity and knowledge. It really makes you appear older and more experienced than you actually are."

Ruby smiled at the compliment, even if she was confused on whether it actually was a compliment or not. "Thanks."

As Weiss went back to work helping Ruby with her paper, they heard a knock on the door to their room. Ruby walked over to the door and answered it, confused when she saw Jaune standing there with a guitar in his hands. "Um, what?" Ruby asked.

Instead of speaking to Ruby, Jaune started to play the guitar he held in his hands. Weiss turned and looked at him as he played, though she was more interested in why he was at the door, versus him playing the guitar itself. She had to admit that Jaune wasn't absolutely terrible with the guitar. Not the greatest, but not the worst she had heard before.

It was only when she heard him start to sing, did she reel back and cover her ears.

Jaune: Baby,

It's time to make up your miiiiind

I think

That tonight is when the stars aliiiiiiign

Honey,

It's time to leave the doubt behiiiiiiiind

Take my hand and you and I are gonna-

"ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME RIGHT NOW?!"

Ruby, Weiss, and Jaune turned towards the shouting that they heard, immediately noticing the opened door to Blake and Yang's room. They all recognized the shrill cries coming from Ruby's older sister, though why she was shouting, neither of them had any idea.

"Haven't you ever heard of knocking, Yang?!" Blake yelled back, though Ruby and Weiss couldn't tell what was going on since they didn't see where Blake was.

"Why the fuck would I have to knock when it comes to my own damn room?!" Yang shouted. "I shouldn't have to come back to my roommate fucking flicking her bean to whatever the fuck porno you're watching right now!"

"Don't fucking yell at me with this shit," Blake replied. "You're the one that just came barging in here. You don't bother respecting my privacy on this matter!"

"Oh, you wanted some privacy?!" Yang shouted. "Well how about next time, you go and put a goddamn sock on the door so that you can tell me to keep the fuck out of my own room? Here, I'll even give you some of my own that you can use!" What Ruby failed to notice was that Yang had pulled out all of her socks and dumped them right on top of where Blake was sitting in her bed.

As soon as the socks landed on top of Blake, she had officially snapped. "You're fucking dead!" Blake cried out as she jumped out of the bed, completely forgetting that she wasn't wearing pants, and started to grab at Yang out of anger. If it wasn't for Ruby and Weiss stepping in to help, along with Pyrrha, who heard the commotion from her own room, it would have been impossible to stop the fight that was about to happen.

As it stood, Pyrrha and Ruby dragged Yang out of the room and into her own, while Weiss kept Blake inside and concealed as best as she could. Jaune, unsure of what to do, looked around like a deer caught in the headlights.

Jaune felt the guitar ripped from his hands, only to see Yang throw it at the front door of the dorm, bouncing against it onto the ground. "Get the fuck out of here right now, Jaune!" Yang yelled, giving Jaune more than enough reason to retreat into the hallway, collecting his ruined guitar as he left.

Now that it was just Ruby, Pyrrha, and Yang, they could finally try to calm things down. Pyrrha started to limp on over to Ruby's computer chair and sat down on it, painful mumbles coming from the tall redhead. "That hurt," Pyrrha said once she had sat down.

"You alright?" Ruby asked.

"My left ankle just got kicked into the post of Yang's bed while we were trying to help her," Pyrrha said. "Now, it just really really hurts."

"Oh cry me a fucking river," Yang said. "Nobody cares right-"

Yang was interrupted mid-sentence when Ruby slapped her right across the face. Once Yang looked at her little sister, she saw a look of absolute fury cross her face, and it scared the blonde. Ruby rarely got mad, and to see her like that twice within a somewhat short timeframe was troubling.

"Don't you dare take your problems out on Pyrrha," Ruby growled. "You're the reason she feels this way in the first place, so you should be apologizing to her instead!"

"Ruby, really, it's fine," Pyrrha said.

"NO," Ruby shouted. "It's not fine! She hurt you, just like she's been hurting Blake, herself, all of us! I'm sick and tired of this arguing that's been going on between the two of them, and you're caught in the crossfire this time, but who knows what will happen the next time the two of them start shouting at each other!"

Yang could only stand there, all of the anger within her body started to dissipate the moment she laid eyes upon Ruby's furious look. Now she could only watch as Ruby explained to Pyrrha just why she was frustrated in the first place.

That was when Pyrrha stood up. "Look, I don't think I need to be here for your conversation," Pyrrha mentioned. "I'm not gonna expect an apology from Yang either. I just was trying to help smooth things over, not make them worse between the two of you. I'll talk to you later, Ruby." Pyrrha limped out of the room, leaving the sisters alone to figure out what had been going on.

As soon as Pyrrha closed the door behind her, Ruby turned around and slapped Yang across the cheek once again. "Do you see now exactly what you're doing to the rest of us?" Ruby shouted to her sister. "Why is it that you and Blake can't just get along anymore?"

"It's not that simple, Ruby," Yang whispered.

"And how come it isn't that simple?" Ruby questioned. "Why is it that the two of you get into arguments almost every day now? After what happened, you two worked something out, hell even over Thanksgiving you two were fine. Ever since then, though, it's been nothing but yelling and getting mad at each other. Why is it not simple?"

"It's because I still love her!" Yang shouted. While it wasn't exactly loud, it was clear enough for Ruby to hear it. "I'm still in love with her, yet I know that I fucked up so badly that I doubt she wants to see me anymore. I'm getting mad and yelling at her because I know that she doesn't care for me anymore, and it's all my fault, so now I'm just driving her away so that I don't have to feel terrible about this." Yang sat down on Ruby's bed, her hands covering her face as she started to cry. "I can't fix this, Ruby, no matter how much I want to. All I can do now is try to make sure that we can both move on to other things."

"Have you even tried to fix it?" Ruby asked. "Did you bother to even think about talking things out and fixing the problem?"

Yang just shook her head. She didn't try to fix it, in her mind it was all over between them, no matter how she felt about the situation. Instead of getting even more scolding, Ruby just hugged Yang and started to rub her back, helping to comfort her sister when she clearly needed it. "Then just try and fix it. Starting with today. I'm sure that there is fault from both of you guys, just talk things out and fix it."

"Just, give me a few minutes to calm down, ok?" Yang asked.

"Alright," Ruby said. "I'm gonna wait till Weiss says that Blake is good and you two should talk things out." Seeing Yang nod, Ruby left Yang to calm down further and she walked over to the hallway, sending a message to Weiss to let her know when Blake had cooled off herself.

* * *

 **(5 minutes prior)**

By the time Yang was dragged out of the room, Weiss pushed Blake down onto the bed, giving the raven haired faunus a chance to pull the blanket back over her, and then shut the door. Weiss immediately turned around and slammed Blake's laptop shut, leaving Blake on her bed to glare at Weiss.

"What in the world was that?" Weiss questioned.

"It's Yang's fucking fault!" Blake immediately responded. "She decided to-"

"Blake, shut up," Weiss interjected. "I'm not asking you to tell me what Yang did, I'm asking you to tell me everything that happened. Both what you did, and what Yang did as well. Now, start talking!"

Blake glared for a moment longer before she huffed and started to explain. "Fine, I was in here...taking care of business, when Yang just barged in here without knocking. We started to shout at each other, then she dumps her socks on top of me, and that's what set me off. Like I said, it was Yang's fault that she walked into my room."

"First of all, the room doesn't just belong to you," Weiss countered. "Yang also lives in this room with you, and if you wanted some privacy so that you could…" Weiss shuddered as she gave the words some thought. "...masturbate, then you should have let her know about that."

"It's not my responsibility to keep her up to date on what I'm doing," Blake said.

"Then you shouldn't be upset when she walked into HER OWN ROOM!" Weiss shouted back. "If I'm mad at Ruby, but want the room to myself, I tell her. It's just common courtesy!"

"She still dumped socks onto me!" Blake replied.

"From what I gather, you kept yelling at her because of the fact that she came into the room," Weiss said. "As far as I'm concerned, you're just as much at fault for this as she is. So both of you need to apologize to each other for this."

"No, she needs to apologize to me," Blake argued. "I've done nothing wrong!"

"Oh really?" Weiss questioned. "Then what about the fight you had last week? I remember you were the one to start the shouting."

Blake started to shrink away into her bed. "W-well that was-"

"What about last night when you came barging into the common room and started to curse Yang out over her leaving just one sock on your bed by accident?" Weiss argued.

"I-I er…" Blake muttered, unable to come up with any arguments.

"Why do you keep getting into arguments with her?" Weiss asked. "What do you get out of this?"

At that point, Blake started to just cry, pulling her legs up from out from under the blankets and holding them up to her chest. Weiss was surprised and she moved closer to see if there was anything that she could do to help.

"Blake?" Weiss said.

"God dammit," Blake mumbled. "The truth is I'm still in love with Yang. I don't know why I keep arguing with her, but maybe it's because I still feel like I should be mad at her over what happened last month, I don't know."

"Then why don't you tell her?" Weiss asked.

"Because we said that we need to move past this, and that means I have to let go," Blake explained. "I need to just move past this. I guess it's much easier when it's someone you're mad with, maybe that's why I'm doing what I'm doing."

"Then talk to her," Weiss said. "You're going to have to explain to her what is going on with you eventually, else you're not going to get the chance to."

"It isn't that simple," Blake replied. "I don't know if I want to say it, I have some things to think about first."

"At least work things out over what just happened right now," Weiss mentioned. "I'm sure you two can get past things and finally stop arguing with each other, only if you guys work for it." By that point, Weiss felt her phone vibrate, and she noticed a message from Ruby. "Look, you go put your pants back on, I can literally see your...you know...I need to step out for a minute while you get dressed. You are going to be talking with Yang, just try to work things out, ok?"

Blake just nodded and looked off to the side, her face flushed crimson out of embarrassment. That was enough for Weiss to walk out of Blake and Yang's room. She immediately ran into her own roommate who looked like she needed to take a breath herself. "You alright, Ruby?"

"Yeah, just need a minute," Ruby replied. "Things alright with Blake?"

"I think the two of them have a lot that they need to work out, ok?" Weiss mentioned. "We should give them a few moments so that they can calm down and have that chance."  
"Yeah, sounds good," Ruby replied. "Maybe then, we can apologize to Jaune for his guitar, apologize to Pyrrha over her ankle, and then afterwards see if we can get started on putting together your computer."

"I like the sound of that," Weiss replied as she walked over to the common room to relax for a few moments.

* * *

Jaune stumbled out of the dorm, slamming the door behind him and leaning back into it, trying to keep the destructive force behind him at bay. After a moment, he sighed and looked over the guitar in his hands.

The bottom of the body, the part that hit first, was dented and splintered, cracks formed throughout most of the rest of the instrument. When it landed on the head, it bent backwards, snapping a few strings that hung precariously onto the bridge port, sadly waving in his arms.

He gently stroked the instrument, knowing it would do nothing but comfort himself, as he thought of what had happened. ' _I was just standing there, playing for my beautiful Snow Angel, when Yang tried to kill Blake. Not only that, but she threw my guitar too. Oh, now am I gonna serenade Weiss now?'_

A gentle tap on his shoulder startled Jaune, causing him to jump and lose his grip on his guitar. He managed to grab it back, but couldn't regain his balance and fell to the ground on his back, covering his instrument to save it from further harm.

"Oh my goodness, I am so sorry. Are you alright?"

A pair of hands softly gripped his shoulders, trying not to hurt him. As Jaune's eyes opened, he noticed Velvet, trying her best to make sure he was ok.

"Oh, um, hey, Velvet. What brings you here?"

"Oh, well, I was about to visit Weiss about a project we were assigned in class." She helped the blonde to his feet, confident that he was uninjured. "Is she here?"

Jaune immediately remembered the situation in her room, hearing a smattering of muffled voices through the door. "O-Oh, um, she is, but she's, uh, a little… preoccupied?

"Oh, I understand, she has a lot of classes, and I'm sure she's working on something else. It's not due for a few weeks, so I guess we have time."

The blond brought a hand up and scratched the back of his head, "Yeah, that'll work." He gave a weak hearted smile as he looked back at his guitar.

"Jaune, what happened to your guitar?" Velvet said, noticing the ruined instrument in his hands.

"It's… a, uh, unfortunate accident, I guess," Jaune mumbled, still not wanting to let spill the events that were happening in the dorm.

"Oh, I'm so sorry. You must care for it a lot," the rabbit faunus said, not knowing what to say.

"Well, not really, I was just hoping to learn how to play for someone."

"Is this someone special to you?"

"She really is something special."

Velvet hummed to herself before replying, "I might be able to help."

The blond looked up, a glimmer of hope in his eyes, "Really, you think you can?"

"I think so. Would it be out of the question to buy a new guitar?"

Jaune nodded, "Yeah, I don't think I can salvage this one, a new one would be so much better!"

Velvet giggled at the excitement in the boy before her. "Well then, I say we go guitar shopping. Since my evening just opened up, would you like to go now?" The rabbit extended a hand for the blond, though he was hesitant.

"But, I don't really know that much about guitars. I may be able to play, but I don't really know which is better or worse."

"Well then, I have a computer back at my dorm, what would you say about doing a bit of research?" Velvet kept her hand out until another clasped tightly to it, both descending down the hallway in conversation.

* * *

 **AN: Noble: Well, this certainly took a turn for the crazy. We got Jaune attempting to serenade Weiss, Blake and Yang getting into a fight, Jaune getting his guitar destroyed, and then Velvet returns to the story yet again.**

 **Martuna: When I was first asked to think of a song for Jaune to sing to Weiss, I immediately went to the RWBY soundtrack to find something, and once 'Shine' started playing, I burst out laughing for a solid 5 minutes thinking of Jaune singing.**

 **Noble: Yeah, I wouldn't have thought to do that in all honesty. Well done Martuna. Also, while I was writing, I thought of things that I know that one of our most accurate reviewers, Gorsouul, would think of. It's why I spent time to include the two sides of the argument (that being Blake and Yang). Hopefully I did that well enough to explain some things, but if not, then we'll have to try again later.**

 **Martuna: It's always tough finding the right ebb and flow for some of these chapters, but it's great to hear what you guys are thinking, so keep sending those reviews!**

 **Noble: Yeah, reviews are the best way to give us feedback on our story, any of them really.**

 **Martuna: While I don't mean to take away from this chapter, I would love it if you were to check out my new story, 'Can You Hear Me'. Posted the first official chapter yesterday, and would love it if you were to check it out.**

 **Noble: And while on that subject, I'm sure any of us can say this, but I personally would love to see artwork for not only this story, but all of my own (and the rest of the legion's) stories. I personally would love new cover art for some things, but don't have the skills to make them myself. In any case, it isn't something that I'm going to really try to push for, but it would be nice to see in any case.**

 **Martuna: We all love the beautiful fanart we see everyday, and would be overjoyed to witness the artistry of our fans.**

 **Noble: That we most certainly would. Anyway, thanks for tuning in to this week's chapter. We hope you enjoyed it, and we hope that you follow/fave/review our story, though it is not required that you do so.**

 **See you guys next week!**

 **(tumbleweed)**


	24. Marathon

"What did you just say?" Ruby asked, lying down on her back in her bed, her voice becoming hollow as she closed her philosophy textbook.

She and Weiss were in their room studying and decided to play a small game that would make the time seem to go by a little faster. Ruby suggested a game of "Lie or Truth", where one of them would state a fact about themselves, and the other would have to determine whether the person is telling the truth or not. To tie in the studying aspect, they decided that if the person being asked got the decision wrong, the asker would have to read them a question from the books spread across their beds.

The rounds had even gone smoothly, all up until the last potential fact that Weiss stated about herself.

"What?" Weiss asked in return, sounding defensive.

Ruby sat up and turned her body, throwing her legs off the side to sit on the edge of her bed. "Weiss, what you just said better be a lie or else this study session is going to be over," she started in a mock threat.

"Yes, it's true. What's the big deal?"

"You've never seen Star Wars!?" Ruby almost shouted.

"No, I have never seen that dumb movie." Weiss said, glaring at the younger girl.

Without another word, Ruby's eyes glazed over and she moved to the door of their room. Opening it, she shouted throughout the dorm, "MOVIE NIGHT!"

Instantly, the door to Pyrrha and Nora's room swung open. Nora stood there with a box of microwave popcorn. "I heard MOVIE NIGHT!"

"What movie?" Pyrrha asked from inside the room.

"More than just one." Ruby replied.

"A sequel as well?" Pyrrha asked.

"Try a series!" Ruby said as she began looking through one of the shelves by the large TV in the dorm.

"Well, which one, dammit? Stop leaving me hanging!"

Ruby stopped looking for the set and turned around, pointing directly at the platinum blonde that had walked out into the common room after her. "SHE'S NEVER SEEN STAR WARS BEFORE!"

No response came from Pyrrha.

There was the sound of a book slamming shut from the room that was Pyrrha and Nora's.

"Find that box set that I brought, NOW!" Pyrrha said as she emerged from the room.

"Way ahead of you."

In the kitchen, Nora ripped open the box of popcorn and looked at all the people in the room, trying to determine just how many bags she would need for all movies.

She removed multiple bags of uncooked popcorn, already free of the plastic.

Nora began counting on her fingers, still trying to decide how much to cook.

Eventually, she shrugged and threw every bag from the box into the microwave at once.

Ren then came from nowhere and stopped her hand before she pressed start. A silent shake of the head was all that it took for the girl to remove all but one of the delicious buttery snack bags from the microwave.

"I don't understand what the big deal is about me never seeing the movies."

Pyrrha, without warning, then walked over to Weiss and picked the girl up and threw her over her own shoulders in a carry. "The big deal is that you haven't seen one of the most iconic movie series of our time." Pyrrha said.

"PUT ME DOWN, DAMMIT!" Weiss shouted.

No response came from Pyrrha as she carried Weiss over to the large sofa in the living room and tossed her down onto it. Of course the cushions broke her fall, but it was still surprising.

"What was that fo-"

"No arguing, we are all going to sit here and we are all going to watch these movies." Pyrrha said in a stern and calm voice that was a little frightening to the white haired girl.

"FOUND THEM!" Ruby said as she brought out a DVD box set with the iconic movie title spread across the front of it.

Just then, the door to the dorm room opened as Jaune, Yang, and Blake walked in, two bags of groceries in each of their hands.

"We're back from the store!" Yang announced. She stood still for a moment and sniffed the air. "And I smell popcorn." she stated.

"What's going on?" Jaune asked, looking at everyone spread across the dorm.

"MOVIE NIGHT!" Nora shouted in the kitchen.

"What movie?" Blake asked as she placed her bags on the counter.

"Movies." Pyrrha corrected.

"Lord of the Rings?" Jaune asked excitingly, hope in his voice.

"Star Wars!" Ruby said as she put the first movie in the DVD player and turned on the TV.

"Even better." he responded as he and Yang placed their own bags on the kitchen counter and began putting away the goods.

"What brought this about?" Yang asked as she walked back into the living room after all the groceries were put away.

"Weiss has never seen any of the movies." Ruby said as she sat down on the couch next to Weiss, remote in hand.

"What!?" Jaune and Yang said at the same time.

"Is the same response going to come from anyone you tell that to?"

"Most likely, because you are considered crazy if you haven't." Pyrrha responded.

"Has everyone in the dorm seen it except for me?" Weiss asked.

She was met with the response of multiple nods from the head, even from the resident bookworm.

"I'm not leaving from this couch for a while, am I?"

"The total length of all the movies is under fourteen hours, so no." Jaune stated as he sat down in one of the chairs.

"Fourteen Hours?" Weiss looked over to the clock on the wall and saw that it was three in the afternoon. "We aren't doing this in one sitting, are we?" Weiss asked, hoping that they wouldn't say they would.

Ruby, Pyrrha, Jaune, and Yang all looked at each other for a few moments, seeming to have a sort of silent conversation between them, before eventually nodding at the same time.

"Hope you all weren't planning on going to bed early tonight, cause you won't be until these movies are done."

Weiss let out a groan and she sank into the couch cushion even further, attempting to escape from this forced situation.

"So which way are we watching the movies. Releases, chronological, or one of the crazy flashback orders?" Jaune asked.

"Release order, of course." Ruby said as the DVD booted up to show the title screen for episode four.

"Waitwaitwait." Weiss said, before Ruby could press play. "Why are we starting on the fourth movie if you said we were watching them in order of release date. Shouldn't the first episode be first?"

"Good question, Weiss." Pyrrha said. "Episode four, five and six were actually made and released before one, two and three, back in the late 70's to the mid 80's. The first three are prequels."

"Oh, ok."

The next thing that happened was Nora running into the room with two large bowls in her hands. Ren walked behind her with a third bowl in his, taking care not to spill any as his partner almost did. The two placed down the bowls on the long coffee table, mounds of popcorn sat in each bowl.

"There we go! Three bowls with extra butter, sprinkled with salt and pepper to really bring out the flavor!" Nora proclaimed.

"Sweet!" Ruby said as she took a few pieces of the buttery snack and threw them into her mouth and happily began chewing.

Nora then sat down on the floor and Ren joined her. Pyrrha had sat down on the couch next to Ruby, and Yang took up the other chair. Blake decided to sit down on the floor as well, but rest her back against the side of Yang's chair with a book in her hands.

"Hey," Yang said, looking down at the cat faunus, "no reading, you're going to be watching like the rest of us." Yang then snatched the book right out of Blake's hands.

"I've seen them all before. I'll still watch it, but I'll be reading as well. Ya'know, multitask." Blake said as she quickly took the book from the blonde's hands.

"Fair enough." Yang sighed as she shook her head and grabbed a few pieces of popcorn and cracked open a soda she got from the fridge in the kitchen. She was glad that the two of them managed to work out a truce once again, though sometimes it was hard for her to deal with being around Blake and not able to do anything. But, she would rather they get along while they were around each other than try something and make things awkward for their dormmates again.

"Everyone ready?" Ruby asked.

With the sound of multiple confirmations coming from the group of students, Ruby pressed play.

The movie started with the classic text role, the music blared through the speakers in the television.

"So this all happened a long time ago?" Weiss asked, stating the obvious.

"In a galaxy far far away." Ruby confirmed. "It may sound a little weird because we don't have any of the technology that they do, but, it's science fiction, so that's something that can be seen a lot in the genre."

The movie started out intense for what the special effects of the seventies could illustrate. Which, for the most part, were very well done.

A small ship being chased by another that practically dwarfed the ship that it was pursuing. They saw two robotic... figures. One was clearly formed in a human like manner, but being painted in pure gold and walked very slow, while the other one, to Weiss, looked almost like a chrome trash can on wheels.

A woman named Princess Leia gave the trash can robot, who was addressed by the golden robot as R2, a sort of device. She said something about it being important.

Long story short, big bag guy showed up and messed up everything, at least that's how Weiss processed it.

* * *

As the next hour and a half progressed, the movie was coming to a close. Ben had been killed by Darth Vader. Han Solo and Luke freed the princess from the Death Star after it had destroyed her home planet, and the whole movie lead up to the final battle, the destruction of the Death Star.

The ships flew by at great speeds, barreling towards the space station that rivaled the size of any nearby moons.

The Rebels put up their fight against The Empire by unleashing their small force in a quick assault.

To everyone's surprise, Weiss was on the edge of her seat for the entire duration of the battle.

"Liking the movie, Weiss?" Pyrrha asked.

"To be honest, yes. I'm not going to beat around the bush or anything like that, but I am actually really liking this. Yes, it's old, but that's the beauty behind classic movies with great production teams."

"Fun fact," Jaune said, "Most of the scenes with large ships and planets in the shot were actually shot with scale models of basically everything."

"Well how else would they have shot them with the new animation technology that were just beginning to come out?" Ruby asked.

Jaune just shrugged. "Just thought that fact was always really cool about the production of the film."

"Oh yeah, no doubt that it's cool." Ruby said as she threw another piece of popcorn into her mouth.

They watched as the three Y-Wing gold fighters descended into the trench in which at the end was their shot at victory for the rebels.

"They all sound very calm for being on the brink of possible death." Weiss commented on the attitude of the fighter pilots.

"Yeah, some of the acting for a few of the actors were not on point, I guess." Yang replied.

"Either that, or their characters that they were to portray are just naturally calm in these situations." Ruby said.

"But they're just throw away characters. Do you think they would do that?"

"Of course they would, they might have shown somehow that the pilots knew that not everyone would be making it back alive." Jaune commented.

The three Y-Wing fighters were charging down the trench when Darth Vader and his two escort fighters came in and annihilated the bombers.

' _That took such little effort from them._ ' Weiss said to herself.

After them, a few Red Squadron X-Wings went down into the trench.

"Why don't they just fly over the trench until the end and then aim straight down for the exhaust shaft and fire?" Weiss asked.

Ruby shrugged next to her. "I don't know. Always wondered that myself. Guess they just wanted to build up some form of suspense."

"As your resident film and media nut," Pyrrha said, re-inserting herself into the conversation. "The reason things seem like they could be done so much easier in our minds is because we'd be looking for the easiest solution. For the purposes of the movie, they have to build up the tension. Adding onto that, if they just did that, then one of the biggest parts of the movie would just be completely scrapped. If that were the case, then there wouldn't be a point to having many parts, or even the entire movie depending on what you want to get rid of."

"Well, when you put it that way," Weiss admitted, "they just didn't want the movie to turn out to be incredibly boring at the most important parts, is what you're saying?"

"Yeah, pretty much." Pyrrha responded.

The one squadron of X-Wings were destroyed once again, but not before one of the fighters launched a volley of photon torpedos at the the vent shaft, but sadly missed.

' _Time for the main hero to come in a save the day.'_ Weiss commented in her mind, predicting the near future of the film.

Just as she guessed, Luke went down into the trench with two other X-Wings tailing behind him as escort.

As they were going down the trench, Luke turned off his targeting computer after he heard the voice of Ben in his head telling him to use the force.

"Yes, listen to the disembodied voice of the crazy man you met in the desert." Weiss said.

"Yeah that's basically how this is going." Nora said.

The two other X-Wings were shot down by Darth Vader and the other two TIE fighters and all that was left was Luke in his own X-Wing.

Darth Vader targeted the back of Luke's X-Wing and fired. The laser blasts barely missed and hit the poor little droid R2-D2 in the back of the ship.

His robotic screams actually hurt Weiss a little. It was almost the equivalent of a dog or cat dying in a movie instead.

Suddenly, the Millennium Falcon came from nowhere and took out the two TIE fighters and knocked Darth Vader's ship spiraling into space.

"And the self-centered asshole comes back to save the day and steal most of the credit." Weiss comments.

"He's not that much of an asshole." Ruby said. "Just… misunderstood. Trust me when I say this, you'll come to like him eventually."

"Characters really grow on you in movies like this. You even learn to really like some of the villains along the way." Pyrrha said.

"That'll be the day pigs fly, in my opinion." Weiss said. "He's just out for the big bucks and credit."

Ruby and Pyrrha shrugged off her comment.

Han's acts gave Luke the opening to launch his own photon torpedos into the shaft. With little time to spare, the remaining rebel ships left the area quickly before the Death Star exploded instantly into a great ball of fire and light.

After all the ships landed, it showed an award ceremony for the brave pilots of the rebels who survived, and even showed R2-D2 looking brand new. It made Weiss a little happy to know that the droid was unharmed.

Moving onto the second, fifth, movie, they started off on the planet of Hoth where the Rebel's have established their new base. Although it doesn't last long before the Empire soon find out that they are there and launch a full assault onto the base.

After the attack, everyone is forced to escape from the planet. Han, Leia, Chewbacca, and the droids all go to visit Han's friend in Cloud City by the name of Lando, while Luke goes to find Master Yoda after being told to do so by the ghost of Ben/Obi-Wan.

"Continue to listen to ghosts and voices, great idea." Weiss commented once more.

"Well it's been working out for him so far." Yang replied.

Weiss thought for a moment. "True, but it doesn't mean that it will always be a good thing."

After a whole lot of nonsense with a giant space slug and an asteroid field, the Millennium Falcon crew made it to Cloud City and met up with Lando. A while after they arrived, Lando told them that they would have a dinner in their honor. When they got to the dinner, they discovered that it was a trap. Darth Vader was at the dinner table and they were surrounded by stormtroopers. Han was taken as the primary hostage and was to be transported to another planet known as Tatooine.

But Darth Vader wanted to test a carbon freezing before Luke got to the city to save his friends, and he decided to test it on Han, which would also help in the transport to Tatooine.

"Oh come on," Weiss complained. "Are they really gonna do something to Han?"

Jaune just looked over at Weiss, an eyebrow raised in curiosity. "What happened to 'he's nothing but a self-centered asshole'? I thought you were super against him."

"Like I said," Pyrrha replied, not giving Weiss the chance to speak. "He grew on her."

"Oh, shut up," Weiss mumbled as she watched Han drop into the carbonation chamber, only to come back out as a frozen block. "Man, this sucks. The bad guys just keep winning."

"I would get into why the second movie in a trilogy is usually this way, but I don't want to take away from the movie," Pyrrha said, nudging Weiss' arm. "Besides, we haven't even gotten to the good part of this movie yet."

"That does not inspire confidence," Weiss rebuked.

"Shut up and watch it, then," Yang groaned.

As the movie went on, Luke showed up at Cloud City in order to save the day. He confronted Darth Vader and they battled within the inner workings of the floating city. The battle was fierce, but Darth Vader pushed Luke back and eventually cut off the kid's right hand. Hanging onto the ledge for dear life, Luke could only maneuver himself away from the Sith so much before he was trapped.

"Jesus, what else could go wrong with this moment?" Weiss asked, unaware of the big moment that was about to happen.

Pyrrha literally placed her finger over Weiss' lips in an effort to keep her quiet during this pivotal moment. Weiss took the hint, as she just rolled her eyes and returned to watching the movie.

"Obi-Wan never told you what happened to your father," Darth Vader said to Luke, who was precariously hanging at the edge of the catwalk, a sheer drop awaiting him should his grip come undone.

"He told me enough," Luke replied, moving further away from Vader, before facing him again. "He told me you killed him."

"No," Vader immediately countered; he was ready to reveal the truth to Luke. "I am your father."

"WHAT?!" Weiss screamed as she stood up from her seat on the couch.

"OH MY GOD THAT WAS HILARIOUS!" Yang squealed, clenching her stomach with one hand while she had her phone recording Weiss' reaction in the other hand. "I...I can't...I can't breathe!"

Not a second later, Blake threw a grape at Yang's head, hitting her square between the eyes despite the fact that Yang was moving so much. "Hey, what was that for?" Yang questioned.

"Shut up and let Weiss watch the movie, or she'll kill you for recording her," Blake said, returning to her book.

"What... the actual fuck... did I just hear?" Weiss questioned as she sat down in her seat once more.

Pyrrha wrapped an arm around her shoulder, her own heartbeat pumping a little bit faster at the contact. "Well, that is honestly one of the single most iconic moments within the entire series thus far," She said to Weiss. "Hell, even when they were making the movie it was kept under wraps from most of the production crew."

"Wait, really?" Ren asked.

"Yep," Pyrrha answered. "Just imagine the reaction from them as they were doing this."

As they continued to watch the movie, Weiss went through a myriad of emotions. She experienced everything from jubilation, to hilarity, to sadness and even some anger.

Now that it came down to the final moments of the prequels, Weiss was very much invested in how it ended.

Weiss watched as Anakin Skywalker, the man who would become Darth Vader, fought against a younger version of Obi-Wan Kenobi. The battle was fierce, and it was one of the most intense battles of the entire series. As the battle came to an end, Obi-Wan cut the hand and legs of Anakin Skywalker and let him tumble down right to the edge of the lava river.

"Ow," Weiss groaned. "I know it isn't real, but that has to be painful."

"That's special effects and editing for you," Pyrrha said.

"Prequels still suck, though," Yang commented. "You won't get me to change my mind."

"We've already been over this, Yang," Ruby groaned. "They are good technically, and they are enjoyable movies, but they could definitely have been better. Nothing else to say about it."

Yang remained silent after that, doing her best to keep calm through the rest of the movie.

When the movie came to it's conclusion, Weiss felt exhausted, but she also felt accomplished as well. She knew that all of her friends were extremely interested in the movie, so watching that gave her a chance to bond with them further.

"So, final thoughts on the movies?" Ruby asked.

"I will admit," Weiss began to answer. "I wasn't looking forward to it when we started. However, I can't imagine why it was that I kept pushing the idea off and refusing to watch it till now."

"Good," Yang came in. "So with that in mind, I can imagine you're super psyched for the newest Star Wars movie that comes out in about a week, right?"

"Wait, there's another one?!" Weiss questioned.

"Yep," Pyrrha said. "It comes out soon. I figure you would've known considering you work at a movie theater."

Weiss thought on what Pyrrha had just mentioned. After Ruby's livestream, she had gone out and looked for her job as her father had requested she do. She resigned herself to looking into any single job out there, because she needed to show maturity and a willingness to work. So, when she applied for a job at the theater near the school, Weiss was glad that she was able to work things out. Scheduling around school interests and the winter break that was coming up at the end of the week had been much easier with the place she applied to.

"I've only been there for close to a month, and a good portion of that has been training for the different positions," Weiss explained. "I haven't had to worry about working during a major premiere such as this one."

"We'll, we're all gonna go to the midnight premiere as a group," Pyrrha mentioned. "If you're working, then we can't do anything about it. But if you can join, you should."

"I think what we should do right now is sleep," Blake said. "I'm tired and want to rest since tomorrow is the last day before finals start."

"Yeah, I agree with Blake," Ruby said. "Sleep sounds great right about now."

Having nothing else to talk about, everyone made their way back to their rooms to get some sleep. Weiss was certainly glad that she took a day to spend with her roommates watching something that they all enjoyed so much.

* * *

 **Noble: Well, this was much different than planned. Believe it or not, we actually had more to this than what's here, but we figured it'd be boring to read.**

 **Angel: I would predict that there would be over eight to nine thousand words in this chapter if we went through all the movies.**

 **Noble: More than that in all honesty. But hey, we hit some pretty monumental moments.**

 **Angel: True. The "I am your father" scene was what we decided should be included above all else.**

 **Noble: Yeah, but did anyone notice what we included at the end of the chapter? It'll be a huge part of what the next chapter is.**

 **Angel: You're gonna have to wait and see what we have in store for you guys! *Goes back to evil plotting*.**

 **Noble: One thing that I will say, this chapter and the next one are some relief from the tension. We will return to your normally scheduled drama soon afterwards. Don't worry, we'll be sure to balance things out so that nothing gets too bad.**

 **Angel: *looks back and forth* Yes… Nothing bad… right…**

 **Noble: Well, in any case, thank you for tuning in once again. We really do appreciate all of this, and we hope to see you again next week!**

 **(tumbleweed)**


	25. The Schnee Awakens

"Can I have a refill?"

"Can I buy tickets here?"

"We get free popcorn, right?"

"Can you hurry up? The movie is about to start and I don't want to miss the opening crawl!"

As hundreds of people crowded around the small concessions counter, Weiss was entertaining two notions; walk out the door and never look back… or stab her coworker with a straw.

Sadly, the fact that she worked at this abysmal place meant neither option was something she could do – no matter how fulfilling it might be to carry out either urge. Rather, Weiss steeled herself with a sigh before once more adopting a cheery, albeit forced, smile and dealt with the next person in front of her. One at the time. For six more hours.

In hindsight, Weiss should have known better. _The hours in the building skyrocketed for this week, but I didn't think there would be_ **This** _._ **Many** _._ **People** _. I should have known that being assigned out here was a red flag from the beginning!_

The theater that Weiss worked at had several different roles for their employees, from concessionists who sell drinks and food, to people manning the ticket booths, or the ushers who cleaned the theaters and ripped tickets.

The spot that the schedule dictated Weiss' position for the Thursday of Star Wars: Episode VII opening was in the ULTRA concessions. Someone, and by someone, Weiss was entirely sure the general manager, had decided to create a separate concession stand near the building's ULTRA screen so movie-goers wouldn't have to trek all the way back to center of the building from the furthest wing.

In theory, it made sense. In fact, the only time Weiss had worked in ULTRA before the shift had been… boring, to say the least. With a grand total of five sales over the course of seven hours. That was what she'd hoped this shift would have been like.

Weiss was proven wrong.

' _This was too busy. This was too busy to only have two people working._

Several HUNDRED people were lined up, waiting to grab last minute snacks or refills as the previews had started to play, with only two, TWO people to serve them all.

 _What have I done to deserve this hell? Where did I go wrong? Was it because I thought about cheating on a test once? Was that it?! WHY?!_

Glancing quickly down at her watch, Weiss let out a small sigh of relief, _the movie has almost started, and then people won't be badgering me for more popcorn or slushies. I'm almost through it!_ What made this thought horrifying was the fact that this _wasn't even the midnight show yet_. It turns out that most theaters nowadays have the first show for new movies around six or seven in the evening. _I just need to get through two more showings, and then I can go home and sleep this all off like a bad dream._

Perhaps what made this even worse was how _badly_ Weiss wanted to see the movie that everyone before her was minutes away from viewing. In the short time she worked for the theater, she had never cared about new movies, never had the want to actually go see what was being shown… until today.

For once, Weiss actually had a reason to use her employee passes – except for the fact that Disney banned their use for the first twenty-one days. Or the fact she was forced to work it.

The white haired teen was pulled from her musings as another customer stepped in front of her.

"Hello! How can I help you?"

Instead of someone rattling off a long order, or just asking for the standard large combo, the person in front of Weiss started to giggle softly. It was the stifled giggling that made Weiss realize who was in front of her.

"I'm sorry, it's just a little amusing to see you working here." Pyrrha's hand was firmly planted over her mouth to stifle the giggling as Weiss' forced smile disappeared into an unhappy frown faster than conventional physics should allow for – one that caused the redhead's own mirthful smile to dip down into a frown. "I wasn't trying to make fun of you-"

Seeing the never ending sea of customers still present behind the redhead, Weiss turned to her friend. "Please, just stand, look at the menu, talk, just don't go, don't make me deal with more people." Weiss didn't want to beg, but she needed a break. Her pride could go fuck itself.

"O-okay." Emerald eyes blinked for a moment in surprise before Pyrrha nodded in understanding. "How's the whole shift going, having fun?" The question, while good natured, had the opposite effect.

Weiss gave Pyrrha a thousand-yard stare with icy blue eyes that twitched as flashbacks from hundreds of customers she'd dealt with in the preceding hours raced through her head. "Quite."

"Uh…" Pyrrha backed away slightly from the counter. "I'm… sorry?"

"It's… it's nothing." Weiss muttered after a moment, pinching the bridge of her nose, "This was not what I imagined when I agreed to a part time job."

"Well, just hang in there, it'll be over eventually, right?" Pyrrha said encouragingly.

Weiss had to bite back a bitter laugh. "Just five more hours and I'll be out. Five. More. Hours."

"Ummmmmm, Weiss?" The teen in question felt her sleeve being tugged as her coworker sought out her attention. "When was our last show again?"

"Eleven fifty five." Weiss had the schedule for the day memorized, as well as written down several places, after all, she'd been at work since three…

"I think they added another show." The coworker pressed a few buttons before Weiss turned to her own console and brought up the upcoming show schedule.

 _Star Wars: Episode VII: The Force Awakens – 3:10am_

The urge to stab her coworker with a straw returned in far greater force as Weiss took a deep breath and let it out.

 _I mustn't stab her with a straw, it's not her fault, it's corporate's fault. I'll just have to buy them out and run this theater into the ground when I quit._ A sickly, creepy smile stretched across Weiss' lips. _Yes, this is a good plan. Ooo, or I could make the people who decided to add another showing work at the concession counter!_

"W-Weiss?" The white haired teen's increasingly useless coworker's voice was shaken, most likely from the positively evil smile that was spread across Weiss' face. "I-I-I think I burned the popcorn."

 _Will this day ever end?_

* * *

After having to throw ALL of the popcorn out, and go several nerve-wracking minutes without any, the popper was finally filled with popcorn again and thankfully, the movie had started, meaning that besides her coworker and Pyrrha, Weiss was mercifully alone.

Now came the dead period, where the downright disgusting mess that was made by four hundred odd people waiting for a movie in an enclosed space. A mess that Weiss had taken upon herself to clean up personally given her distrust of her coworker from doing a single thing right.

Which was why Weiss was currently mopping up spilled, sticky soda from the refill counter, trying her best to do it quickly, yet failing as Pyrrha hovered nearby.

Hoping to alleviate the soul crushing job she was doing, Weiss turned to Pyrrha. "Aren't you a tad early for your show, it isn't for another four hours?"

"Yes, well, I figured I'd get here early and reserve seats for everyone." Weiss gave an undignified grunt as a response as she continued to wipe down the counter, prompting a concerned frown from her redhead friend. "Has it been this busy the entire day?"

Weiss had to resist the urge to give Pyrrha another thousand yard stare, instead settling on a simple defeated nod. "Without fail."

"Well, it is the latest Star Wars movie, it's been highly anticipated for years now," Pyrrha mentioned, though she could see that this was also a rare case, even among the more highly anticipated movies. "I mean, this is probably the exception, but it's not quite this bad normally… right?"

Wiping the last of the buttery popcorn from the counter, Weiss took a step back to admire her hard work and the slight shine to it before turning towards Pyrrha. "Usually no, but with the semester ending and everyone not having school for winter break soon, plus the numbers that Star Wars typically brings in, I'm going to imagine it'll be this busy for some time." Never before did Weiss wish she hadn't done research on how much a movie was supposed to make.

"I guess hundreds of people look different when watching them then when studying them on paper...you could always leave, you know." Icy blue eyes narrowed at emerald ones asking the unspoken question of why Pyrrha would suggest such a thing. "If it's not working out, there are other jobs out there, especially if this one isn't working out for you."

Weiss quietly stared at the spray bottle before looking back up at Pyrrha. "If I do, that'll be going back on my word." Weiss was not going to break her promise to her father, especially given that he had delivered on his end of the bargain.

"Hmmm… is there anything I can do for you, then?" The urge to ask the kind redhead to help her clean the mess that was the waiting area was immediately squashed by the fact that simply put, this was Weiss' job, not Pyrrha's. However…

"Could… could pick up food for my break?" Weiss had been counting the seconds until she could take her scheduled half an hour break, and felt that she'd more than deserved some hot food rather than the cold sandwiches that were in her locker.

"Sure!" A great, wide grin stretched across Pyrrha's face as she enthusiastically nodded. "Any preference from where?"

Weiss mumbled something softly, earning a small frown from Pyrrha. "Um, what was that?"

"…Five Guys…"

A singular eyebrow arched up incredulously. "You like Five Guys?"

Weiss didn't verbally respond, only nodding shyly, embarrassed about her guilty-pleasure food. "Alright, do you mind if I buy one of your Star Wars cups before I go?"

"Not at all!"

That's, of course, when more issues started to arise.

It's not as if Weiss WASN'T being paid to sell her friend a promotional cup, plus she knew how much Pyrrha enjoyed the series. The only complication came when the credit card system for her register stopped working.

As Weiss resisted the subtle, but ever consuming urge the grab the cash register and slam it onto the ground after having manually entered Pyrrha's credit card for the fifth time in a row, another misfortune occurred.

A movie-goer had left the theater for a refill on his large popcorn, and was putting seasoning on it at the counter that Weiss had spent the better part of ten minutes meticulously cleaning. He was shaking the seasoning into the bucket, stray popcorn flying all over the previously shining counter, eliciting a barely audible whimper from Weiss.

The whimper, however, turned into a snarl as the moviegoer gave a small shrug before upending the large tub all over the counter and walking over to the seething teen.

"Can I have a refill?"

 _Just think happy thoughts, Weiss, just think happy thoughts. Just don't stab him and you can get through this, just happy thoughts… Why am I thinking of Pyrrha?_

For some reason, in Weiss' stress addled brain, her immediate thought to keep her from shanking a bitch was the memory of the tall redhead holding her in strong, muscled arms, protecting from the evil, vile, inky, creeping darkness …

…Right as said person accidently spilled her drink over the man in front of the counter – though the mischievous twinkle in her emerald eyes made it clear it was anything but an 'accident'.

 _If there is a higher power… please have mercy on me and end it now._

* * *

 _I just need to turn in the closing list and I can leave._

In some cruel act from a higher power, Weiss had gotten through the shift with her sanity intact, not from a lack of trying, mind you.

Everything that could go wrong, had gone wrong. From the shift going on for another three hours, to her one coworker being a minor and being sent home at midnight leaving Weiss to clean the ULTRA concession stand by herself, to the unending lines of people.

Perhaps the only bright spot of the shift was when the rest of her friends had shown up an hour before the midnight showing started – it was comforting to see some friendly faces in the sea of strangers. Or when they had stopped by to see how she was doing after their showing got out. Better yet, plans had been made to see the movie again, this time with Weiss.

 _At least I have something to look forward to now after this shift. I can't wait to sleep in tomorrow morn… morning…_ Weiss stopped in her tracks. _Today is Thrusday, er, Friday morning. I have classes in… five hours…_

"Fuck."

"Ah, Miss Schnee, there you are!"

Weiss' eyes widened in horror before realizing that the supervisor hadn't heard her mutter the obscenity as she jogged over. "Oh, uh, hello, Amber, I have the closing list for you right here." The white-haired teen shakily offered up a piece of paper.

"Thank you…" However, instead of walking away, the dark skinned woman motioned up the stairs towards the office, "We still need to check you out before you can leave."

Weiss' eyes narrowed as she dutifully followed Amber up the steps and into the locked office _. I've already picked up my pay stub, what else is there to… do…_ Icy blue eyes locked onto the words printed across the packet that Amber was holding out to her.

 **DISCIPLINARY ACTION – WRITE UP – INVENTORY WAS OFF**

"Now, since this is your first time, and I know today was a little hectic, which is why your inventory is off by nearly thirty items, I'm going to give you this as a warning and not a write-up, so don't let it get you down, okay?"

Weiss found herself numbly nodding as the words sunk in. "Alright, you are free to go, get some rest!" While the tone of the supervisor was kind, Weiss felt like she was being treated as some kind of failure.

In a robotic process, Weiss walked out of the doors and into the parking lot, headed for the bus stop to catch a ride home. "Wait, the buses stop running at two AM."

Snapping herself out of the stupor, Weiss reached into her pocket and pulled out her cellphone. _I'll just call someone for a ride._ As she looked at the screen, it brightly displayed that there was no cell reception. _No matter, I'll just use the theater's phone, then._ Both her and her plan were stopped in their tracks when Weiss remembered that the doors had locked over an hour ago.

 _I'm ten miles away from campus, I have classes in five hours, I have no cell reception, I'm covered in filth and reek of popcorn and candy, I just spent the last THIRTEEN HOURS IN A MINIMUM WAGE JOB THE WEEK BEFORE FINALS!?_

Something deep within Weiss snapped. Hard.

 _I got a write up today, I failed at having a minimum wage job, how am I ever going to take over the family business?!_

 _It's not worth it! NONE OF THIS IS WORTH IT! It's not even minimum wage; they are paying me a 'training wage' for the first ninety days! I DIDN'T EVEN MAKE A HUNDRED DOLLARS TODAY! And now I'm stuck in the dark... alone._

The words sunk into her as the self-depreciative panic attack melded into pure, unadulterated fear. I'm alone, in a huge, empty parking lot… in the dark. Weiss' thin arms wrapped around herself as she hugged her torso in some unconscious response to make the feeling of helplessness go away.

"I-I-I just wa-a-anna g-go home." Weiss' vision blurred as tears streaked down her cheeks. It was only moments later that the fears had fully sunk their dagger-like claws into her thoughts as she sat on a curb, knees hugged against her chin.

The fear that somewhere out there were people that could take her away without her being able to even see them returned in full force, causing the shaking girl to bury her head in her crossed arms. _J-Just think h-happy thoughts, just think happy t-thoughts._

"Weiss~? Is that you?" An energetic voice that Weiss could name any day of the week called out faintly. _Great, now I'm hallucinating that I'm hearing Ruby._ The soft pitter-patter of footsteps only made the terrified teen curl up more. "Weiss, are you sleeping?" This time it was louder as the footsteps grew in volume.

"Hey Pyrrha, I don't think Weiss is okay!" Footsteps quickened into a run, finally forcing Weiss to look up. Indeed, Ruby was running towards her, with Pyrrha tailing behind.

"R-Ruby? Pyrrha?" Icy eyes stared up at her two red-themed friends, still not quite believing that they were real. "W-why are y-you here?"

Ruby reached her first, crouching down beside her, a worried frown creasing her lips. "Um, we figured that you might need a ride since the buses stopped running a while ago, and Pyrrha has a car, sooo here we are. Uhh, are you, um, okay?"

Concerned emerald and silver eyes anxiously focused on her, eliciting a small, almost tiny twitch at the corners of Weiss' lips, forcing them up in the beginnings of a smile. "I w-wanna go home."

Weiss' saviours looked at each other and nodded before lightly grabbing her on each side. "Let's get you to the car."

The moment they had pulled her up, Weiss latched onto the one saviour who couldn't drive, Ruby, in an effort to make sure she wasn't hallucinating from the hellish shift she'd just endured. "Eep!" Ruby jolted at the sudden contact. "You gotta let go, Weiss, else we aren't getting into the car!"

Long white hair swayed as Weiss timidly shook her head. "We can sit in the back seat." Ruby could only shrug her shoulders helplessly as they made their way towards Pyrrha's car – with some stifled giggling from the redhead.

The moment Weiss buckled in the back with Ruby, the fight to stay awake was lost immediately, a singular happy thought fluttering through her head before unconsciousness overtook her.

 _Now I have two happy places to think of._

* * *

 **AN: Noble: Wow, completely broken Weiss...goddammit Jefardi, this is going to make things much more complicated for her.**

 **Jef: Or much simpler… depending on your point of view!**

 **Noble: You could say that. Anyway, you finally get to work on one of the chapters.**

 **Jef: Or I could have made it far more complicated, /shrug/ Who knows? Yup! Finally working on this, quite fun too!**

 **Noble: Yeah, and you immediately begin with breaking Weiss. Well done Jef...well done.**

 **Jef: The sad thing is, I have a bullet point list of things to go wrong on a shift at a movie theater. A list that was made in ten minutes, i.e. one in which I overlooked a lot. I didn't even get through half of them… maybe next time?**

 **Noble: Yeah, anyway, thanks for tuning in this week! Don't worry, we'll be returning to the theater at some point, so we'll see more from Weiss on the job. Reviews are appreciated but not required, and we'll catch you next week!**

 **(Tumbleweed)**


	26. Stay in One Place

**_Blake_**

My eyes opened slowly, my sight already trying to adjust itself to the lighting in the room. I let out a sigh and rubbed my eyes gently. _Just another 'beautiful' morning in uni._ I thought and sat up slowly, pushing the blankets off of me as I did. I let out a groan; trying to sleep last night was difficult… too difficult. I looked towards my right at the other side of the room to see my blonde roommate sleeping on her bed in a lazy manner, her blanket almost falling from it and her pillow sitting on the floor. She was murmuring words that I could not comprehend due to the fact that she was laying on her front side, her mouth slightly covered by the sheets of the bed.

There was a truce between us… well, more like an excuse to not argue over events that transpired what felt like so long ago. We both know it was just that, but it was hard for me to get over what happened, and I can tell that she was feeling the exact same way. The others saw right through me when we made that truce; who couldn't tell that something was up between us? It's been awhile since we argued and snapped at each other, and I hope that today won't be the day that our unstable peace spirals out of control. Tomorrow's the day everyone leaves for winter break.

I sighed and got up, stretching my arms and legs out before going to my drawer, taking out the clothes that I want to wear for the day. As I did that, I heard a loud thud behind me, looking back quickly to see Yang groaning softly as she got up from the floor. "Damn that hurt, I should really stop sleeping so late." She said to herself, not noticing yet that I was watching her. When she looked my way, she immediately turned away. "M-morning." Yang said softly.

"Morning," I replied, sighing softly, "d-did you… sleep well?" I asked.

"I… I guess I can say that I did. H-how about you?" she asked.

I shook my head. "It could have been better. A lot better."

I noticed a frown form on her lips as she turned back to me. "You could rest a bit longer if you-"

Without thinking, I interrupted her. "I'm just going to shower and get dressed. Plus we have classes today; it wouldn't be a good idea for me to oversleep." I heard her call for me as I left the room with the clothes I had picked out earlier, ignoring her as best as I could and checked to see if one of the bathrooms were in use. The doorknob turned, signaling that it wasn't occupied, and I pushed the door open, turning on the lights as I walked in and set my clothes down on the counter next to the sink. I let out a soft sigh and closed the door behind me, locking it and started taking my clothes off. A moment later, I went into the shower and turned the faucet, making warm water rain down from the shower head. I slowly moved to the back wall until my back hit the cold surface of it, sliding down and closing my eyes slowly as the water hit my face. It was a moment of bliss and contemplation.

Why does it have to be so damn hard to think? All I have to do is go to classes, get my grades, and enjoy the break, but no, I have to stress over this like an idiot. Stupid Yang… no… she's not the stupid one… I am.

"Blake! A-Are you okay in there? P-Please talk to me." I heard Yang call out to me from the other side of the door.

I couldn't just ignore her at that point. "I'm fine, Yang! Just...go on and get your things ready for finals!"

"U-Um...I kinda still need to use the shower though." Yang had said from outside, but it still bugged me to think that we'd need to walk by each other on the way out.

"S-Sure, just wait on me. I'll be done soon enough." I sighed as I looked up at the shower head. I just want this day to be over.

* * *

 ** _Yang_**

All I could do was sit on my bed and stare at the door. Even when we looked at each other, we couldn't even form sentences. I wish things were back to normal around here. I sighed as I sat up and walked over to Blake's bed. I actually wanted to fix her bed up, but hell, she'd probably not even care either way. Maybe I should just stay out of her way today. Break starts tomorrow anyways, so it's not like she'd want to see me.

I felt a pain in my heart when I said that. Thinking about it made me feel like crap, but actually seeing her ignoring me...fuck! I can't let that happen!

I walked back over to the door and was prepared to confront her, but I realized how dumb that would be, so instead I just sat back down on her bed and waited patiently for her. She can't ignore me if I'm right in front of her.

After a few minutes of just sitting back and playing with my hair, I saw the doorknob turning. It was the moment I had to take, so I relaxed myself and held my breath. When Blake walked in, hair still wet and looking radiant, I blushed. "Blake...Um, hey."

Blake stopped the second I spoke and held herself tightly. "Y-You can head in now, Ya-

I stopped her by raising my hand up and sighing. "Listen, I get we're still having a little trouble talking to each other for more than five minutes, but...can we at least try?" I was running out of options, and I seriously hoped she'd be okay with talking with me.

I watched her sigh and walk over to her desk. "I'd rather we just get ready for our finals, Yang. Today is our last day before break, so-."

"Are you fucking kidding me right now?!" I heard Nora yelling from the other side of the door. Nora ran into the room and looked pissed the hell off. I'm not gonna lie, it looked scarier than I could be sometimes.

"Uh, Nora? What are you-?" I couldn't even get the words out, since Nora slammed the door shut and glared at Blake and I.

"You two dumbasses are gonna stop your shit and make up already! We're all sick of it!" Nora had screamed, shocking me and probably Blake too.

Nora just sat down in front of the door with her legs crossed and Blake looked annoyed. "Nora, stop acting like a child and get up already. We have classes soon."

"Hell no, Blake! You don't get to leave until you two idiots talk it out already! Like come on! Is it really the time to be all angry and stressful, right before we go on break?! Ugh!" Hearing Nora yelling that much kinda freaked me out a bit to be honest, but if it was gonna get Blake to talk to me, then I guess I can roll with it.

"Blake?" I called out to her. "D-Do you really not want to talk to me?"

I watched Blake clench her fist and she got the supplies she needed for the last day. She shoved them all into her bag and walked over to the door. Nora stood up to look more intimidating, crossing her arms in front of her. While her short stature worked against her, her emotions were out of control. I just sat on Blake's bed with my head down. She didn't even answer me.

"Nora, I appreciate that you want to help, but I don't think she's gonna budge. I mean, hell, it's my fucking fault that this shit happened in the first place." I muttered the last part, but the other two heard me well enough. Nora just groaned at what I said, keeping her firm stance at the door while she turned her attention to me. "W-What?"

"Don't go around blaming yourself for something that wasn't your fault to begin with," Nora growled at me. "Now you two just sit down and talk about this for TWO seconds, or so help me I WILL break your legs!"

I gulped at the threat, noticing Blake taking a step back, knowing she wasn't fucking around with either of us. But Blake was persistent.

"Nora, will you just stop with this crap before-" Blake tried to say something, but Nora just grabbed her arms, dragged her to her bed, and pushed her down next to me. "What the hell?"

"STOP TRYING TO AVOID FIXING THINGS ALREADY!" Hearing Nora yell like this, I don't ever remember seeing her this furious before. "NONE OF THIS WAS YANG'S FAULT TO BEGIN WITH SO GET THAT STUPID IDEA OUT OF YOUR HEAD FOR CHRIST'S SAKE!"

"Well then, who would you blame for all of this?" Blake yelled back.

"ME!"

I think Blake took a double take when she heard Nora's response, I certainly did. I don't think any of us were ready to hear this from the ginger. The room went deathly silent, no one saying anything.

"It's my fault that you two are like this right now," Nora said after what felt like an eternity. Her voice sounded as though she was on the verge of tears, and after getting a good look at her, I could see that she was shaking a bit. "So please…" Now I could see that she was crying, tears on her face. "Just let me fix this so that you two can finally be happy again."

All I could do was stand up and take her in an embrace. I couldn't imagine how much Nora has been hurting ever since Blake found us like that. I only thought about myself and Blake. "Nora...I am so, so sorry."

I heard Blake get up from her bed, knowing full well that she felt just as bad as me. "Have you always felt this way, Nora?" Blake asked, which I should've asked from the start, but I was busy rubbing her back and comforting her as much as I could.

Nora just sniffled, letting more tears fall. She's the one who was crying...not Blake and I. Normally it was the other way around, but this really isn't normal after all. "A-Are you two gonna at least try to talk now...please?" She begged us.

Blake had taken a breath behind me and placed her hand on my shoulder. "Yang, let her go for a moment."

I nodded and let go of our orange haired friend, immediately being replaced by Blake in the embrace. Blake started saying a few things to Nora in a hushed tone. I couldn't catch any of it, but I assumed from the way Nora started to calm down, it must've been Blake telling her that we'd talk it out.

Once Blake let go of Nora, she turned to me. "Yang, sit down for a few minutes. We may have finals, but this is more important and we have time till they start."

I let out a small smile and looked over at Nora. "You feeling okay, Nora?"

She just nodded, confirming that she'd be okay, but I needed to hear it from her, so I stayed silent, waiting on her to say a word. "Guys, ever since that day, I thought about how I fucked up, and don't say I didn't...just don't let my mistake ruin what you have."

That comment made me blush. What did she mean by that, and if she means what I think she means, would that even be possible for us?

"Don't worry, Nora. We aren't gonna leave this room till everything is sorted out. Now why don't you go on and get ready for finals?" Blake had suggested.

Nora sniffled one more time and wiped away a few tears from her face. "Y-Yeah, just let me know how it went...cause I'm still serious about breaking your legs...don't make me, by the way. Explaining that to Ren wouldn't be the easiest thing to do."

I just chuckled at that. "No problem, Nora. Oh, and we may need that angry Nora power at some point, so try to learn how to turn that off and on at some point. You never know when we'll need it."

That made her laugh a bit, which made me feel better, since that was the Nora we all knew. She gave us a thumbs up and headed out. Blake looked to me for more than ten seconds after that, so that was a start.

"So...how's it going?" How's it going? Why the hell did I start with that?!

"With how the day is so far, I'm not exactly sure how to answer that, Yang." She said to me, making me feel even more like an idiot. "But." Hearing that made me a little hopeful. "I guess it might be able to get better."

"That's all I've wanted to hear." I told her as she sat down next to me. "I...I know when it happened... you wanted to kill me, but-." She cut me off by tapping my forehead. It was a little odd at first, but it was pleasant, so I wasn't about to complain.

"The yelling, the talks we've had to have with everyone. I'm tired of it, Yang." She admitted to me. It reminded me of the time Ruby smacked me across the face. "I just...I want to forget what happened that day, but I can't. It just hurt so much when I saw you with Nora."

I hated the way she sounded, but I knew blaming myself wasn't gonna help. "I hear a lot about how people make stupid mistakes and how it just proves that everyone can make them, but screw that, I made a mistake I wish I can take back, Blake...and not just because it caused this...but because I wanted that kind of experience...with…" I couldn't say it, so I just mumbled the next part to myself. "You."

"Huh? What was that?" Heh, like she'd ever let me say something to myself like that.

"It's, I...I hated how I did that with Nora, because I wanted to save that experience with someone I really care about." I admitted. I hated not being able to just say it was her, but how could I?

"Someone you really care for." Blake plainly said to me.

"Yes." I answered, but I had to get back on track. "That's another thing entirely. For now, is it possible that you and I can go back to how things were? I just, I really want that more than anything, Blake."

Blake got up suddenly and walked to the mirror, looking at herself for a few moments. I was wondering what she was even doing. Wow, she...looks amazing. Wait, no, Yang. This isn't the time for that. You gotta deal with this first...and finals are coming up and-.

I was cut off from my thoughts when Blake turned around to face me. "Is going back to the way things were...is it completely what you want? Or is there something else you'd want to add onto it?"

That didn't make much sense to me. What was she even asking? "Uh, like what?"

"Like, what if there was a chance that we could put this past us and try for something even better than what we had before?" Blake asked, waving her hands around as she spoke. "What if we could try to come up with something that we could do? Something that gave us both what we wanted?"  
"What are you getting at right now?" I questioned. She really wasn't making any sense to me at all.

Blake just sighed, still confusing me. "You are too dense...I swear." I suddenly felt her grab the back of my head and she pulled me closer to her. I blushed harder than ever before and she pushed her lips against mine. My eyes almost shot out of my face at that moment. Blake kissed me! She's fucking kissing me! What in the fuck is going on?!

Before I could even return the kiss, she pulled away from me. "So, do you get it now?"

I couldn't hear a word she was saying to be honest. Everything just felt unreal to me. I tried saying something, but every time I did, Blake just looked confused.

"Yang? Uh...are you okay?" She asked me, but I had no idea why. She sighed and flicked my forehead, apparently bringing me out of the trance I was in. "Sheesh, snap out of it already!"

I just started shaking my head and tried focusing again. "Huh? What? Where am I?"

"Really? You were that out of it from a simple kiss? It makes me think we'll never be able to go out on an actual date." Blake had said to me, causing me to look as red as a tomato.

"W-What are you talking ab...wait! You just kissed me!" I exclaimed, seeing her give me a shrug like it wasn't that big of a deal.

"Yes, I did, but only because I can't keep this shit away from you anymore." Wait, she's liked me...this whole time?! "If you haven't figured it out yet, I've had a small, and I mean it, small! Crush on you for some time...but after what happened...well, you know."

I just scratched the back of my head, feeling like a complete ass. She's liked me this whole time and I slept with another girl...fuck me. "This is, fuck I don't know. Good, but bad, but good again."

"How does that make any sense, Yang?" I couldn't think of an answer for her, so I just shrugged and chuckled to myself, causing her to sigh. "I am getting into something ridiculous with you, aren't I?"

"Hey! I didn't even say if I wanted to be like that with you…" I tried to keep my composure, but I couldn't. I burst out laughing, which kinda made her groan at me. "S-Sorry, Blakey, but this is just awesome! I've liked you this whole time too!" I finally admitted to her.

I kinda enjoyed seeing her eyes widen at that. I guess we're both clueless. "You mean to tell me-?" I decided to have a little fun with her and cut her off with a kiss of my own. It was like a dream, seriously. I thought I was gonna wake up while I was kissing her.

After we spent the next ten seconds kissing, I pulled away from her and chuckled. "So, ready for finals, Blakey?"

She just blinked at me and pointed to the door. "Not until you get your ass in that shower so you won't smell bad during finals? I don't need to be blamed for not keeping my girlfriend hygienic."

I lifted my arm up and smelled my pits. Ugh, okay, she's right...wait, did she just… "Did you just call me your girlfriend?"

She just rolled her eyes at me and grabbed my clothes out of the drawer. "Go. In. The. Shower." And with that, she shoved the clothes against me and pushed me out of the room.

As soon as I got in the bathroom and the door closed behind me, I dropped the clothes on the ground and jumped in the air. "Hell yeah! Blake Belladonna and I are together! Take that, Ruby! I got with someone first!"

I actually managed to hear an audible groan from my new girlfriend from the other side of the door. "What the hell did I get myself into?" I snickered when I heard Blade say that, but I know she can't get enough of me.

* * *

Well...finals. Yeah, that was a thing. Ugh, I seriously hope this shit won't bite me in the ass later. Wait, what am I doing?! I gotta go see Blake! And rub it in Ruby's face!

I looked around the crowd at the front of the building we took our finals in and found her. I sprinted as fast as I could to Blake and hugged her from behind. "Y-Yang! What do you think you're doing?!" I didn't mind how loud she got. I just wanted to hug my new girlfriend.

"I don't see the problem, Blakey." I grinned happily, gripping onto her tightly.

"It hasn't even been twenty four hours yet, and you're already clinging on to me this much?" She groaned and started walking with me attached to her. I wasn't about to let go of my kitten.

We got some looks from other people, but mostly ones that made Blake blush, so it wasn't all bad, though I did see Nora on the way to the room.

Nora ran up to us and squealed. "No way! No way! No way! This went better than I expected! Are you both together, together now?! That's so awesome! I gotta tell Ren and-" I saw the next part coming a mile away.

Blake grabbed Nora's hand and stopped her from jumping up and down in joy. "Please, just this once. Try not to make a big deal out of something like this."

Come on, Blakey. You know Nora of all people wasn't about to let something like this go. "How can I just sit back and not say anything?! This is great news! Now you and Yang aren't fighting anymore and you're both a couple!" Nora squealed the last word in emphasis, causing Blake to try to cover her ears.

I honestly felt a little bad for my kitten at that point, so I had to intervene. "Okay, Nora, we do appreciate the support and all, but Blake is right. You shouldn't be screaming it to the heavens, though we do have to thank you. Making us talk it out really helped us. So...you know, thank you, Nora."

She giggled and hugged us. It made me happy, cause seeing a sad Nora was like the worst thing in the world. "I'm just glad we're all friends again!" I couldn't help myself and chuckled at how Blakey and I were more than just friends now.

Nora decided she had enough time hugging us, so she let us go. "Listen, don't tell the others just yet, Nora. We'll let em all know soon enough, but we wanna be the ones to do it." I needed to make sure she got that.

"Of course! But can I at least tell Ren? Pretty please!" I playfully rolled my eyes at that.

"Alright, but just him and no one else. Got it?"

A funny thing about Nora was that she liked getting a little too into character every now and then, so she just saluted us. "Yes, ma'am! Just Ren!" She put her arm down and sped off from us, most likely to tell Ren the big news. Eh, it wasn't like I minded the others knowing from her, but I knew my kitten would like a bit of privacy before the others bombard us with questions.

"She did help us out, but I don't think I've ever seen someone get more excited about a couple than the actual couple." Blake said, making me shrug.

"It's fine by me. Now how about we head back already? We gotta get packing." Wait...shit, we gotta get packing. I won't see her till probably next semester...well fuck my luck.

"You know, after today we won't be seeing each other for a while," I mentioned to her as we walked back to the dorms. "We should try and plan a get together of sorts."

"I wouldn't mind that," Blake purred. As we walked, the two of us just talked with each other. It was wonderful, the feeling of being able to chat with your best friend, who also happened to be your girlfriend. I haven't been able to enjoy this in the month and a half that we were ready to kill each other.

By the time we got back to the dorms, we could hear chatter on the other side of the door. "How much do you want to bet that Nora spilled the beans to everyone accidentally?" I asked Blake.

She just shrugged and shook her head. "I guess I can live with it if she did. This was also a big deal to her as well as us."

"Yeah, well let's go tell everyone the news," I suggested, grabbing the door handle and opening it up.

* * *

By the time we were about to leave, the snow started to come down. Ruby was super excited about it since that meant she got to go play in it when we woke up in the morning at home. Jaune and Weiss were stuck at the school till the next day with another set of finals waiting for them. Nora and Ren on the other hand had already gone home before us.

As we walked outside to the cars, I walked with Blake, hand in hand. Pyrrha offered to give her a ride back home since it was along her drive, so she brought her car over to the building beforehand so that the two could get their things in it easier.

"I guess this is it for now," Blake said.

"Not necessarily," I replied. "This is just the beginning for us."

"I like the sound of that," Blake said. She leaned in and gave me a kiss before we heard Pyrrha's car horn sound off. I could tell that Ruby was eager to get home as well. "Looks like it's time for us to go."

"Yeah, I guess so," I mentioned. "Let me know when you get home so we can chat until the sun comes up, ok?"

"Will do," Blake said giving me a wave as she climbed into Pyrrha's car. After watching them drive away for a few seconds, I turned towards my own car and climbed in.

"Everything alright, Yang?" Ruby asked me.

I thought back to how the past 24 hours had gone. Blake and I had gone from the worst of friends, to more than friends in a short time. All that I wanted was finally mine, and I was grateful for that. Starting up the car, I smiled at the thought of seeing her again.

"Things couldn't be better."

* * *

 **AN: Noble: This certainly has been a long time coming, hasn't it? (Side note: The reason we do Tumbleweed is because it's a Legion inside joke we have in our skype calls. It's what we do so say that we're signing off for the night.)**

 **Shadow: Yeah...but hey, it was worth the wait.**

 **Noble: I personally wish to apologize on behalf of all members of the Legion for the delay with this chapter. There was a lot of complications that we went through, mostly outside of our control, that we had to go through. (Second Side Note: Shoutout to TheDarkenedRose for getting things started with the Blake portion of this chapter.)  
**

 **Shadow: Meh, it happens, but so does Bumbleby! So hope you all enjoy that...though I do tend to write a few bumbleby chapters.**

 **Noble: Hopefully you guys squee hard over this chapter. I'm certainly glad that it managed to come out as well as it did.**

 **Shadow: Okay...so can I go back and play Overwatch now?**

 **Noble:...Fine….be that way.**

 **Anyway, we hope you guys have a wonderful day. We will be going back to our normal schedule, so this friday will have a chapter being released! Hope to see you guys again, and thanks for being patient!**

 **(Tumbleweed)**


	27. New Beginnings

Weiss was frantically pacing around the large living room in her family's home. The holidays had been a godsend to her, one that she had taken advantage of immediately. Between her studies, her new job, spending time with her friends, and all of the activities she had gotten involved with at school, Weiss barely had any time to herself.

Once she returned to her home up in Buffalo NY, she walked up to her room, collapsed onto the bed, and curled up, unmoving for nearly 24 hours straight. By the time she had woken up, she had what she assumed to be around 50 missed calls from everyone of her roommates, as well as a various amount of texts from them asking if she made it home safely. A quick reply to everyone had soon alleviated their concerns, and she then went to go down and address her family after she cleaned herself up.

She talked with her mother and father about all of what she went through with her first semester at college. Weiss was glad that she could get this opportunity; the relationship with her family hasn't always been the greatest. With Weiss moving away to college, her father started to warm up to her and admit that he should have done better with her growing up.

But that was all in the past, and Weiss was looking ahead. It had been a few weeks since she had returned home, and she kept in touch with all of her friends. When Yang suggested that they all get together during the break, Weiss couldn't say no. It was actually her idea to throw a New Years party at her house since it was large enough to accommodate everyone.

Convincing her family was beyond simple, all she had to do was ask. They were more than willing to do this, so long as no damage to the house was done. Her father actually had a business 'vacation', so to speak, planned with her mother through the first of the year so, barring the staff, they would have the house to themselves.

Ren and Nora didn't even need permission from anyone since they lived on their own, and Blake had no trouble getting the ok to go. Ruby and Yang didn't have much trouble from their parents either, especially after hearing Ruby pleading for almost an hour unnecessarily. Jaune and Pyrrha had to do a little convincing first, since the two of them would both need to book flights. After getting the knowledge that Weiss' father would pay for the air travel, both families eventually conceded.

Now all Weiss had to do was wait for everyone to show up. That was always the worst part of these things, the wait before people arrived. Usually that meant you thought of things that you felt needed to be fixed at the last minute. Given Weiss' upbringing, that was in overdrive right now as she waited for the first guest to arrive.

Eventually, she received a message from the front gate that one of her friends had arrived. Seeing that it was one of her father's drivers, that narrowed down the list of people to three, and she already knew that Pyrrha was going to be getting in later in the day.

She walked towards the front door and opened it just as the car pulled up. From out the back seat, Weiss saw Blake climb out of the car. "I take it your drive went well?" Weiss asked, walking over to Blake and giving her a hug once she had pulled her bags out.

"Was surprised by the fact that you decided to send a driver to pick me up from the train station, but otherwise, it was uneventful," Blake replied.

"The staff here will take your bags up to your room," Weiss mentioned as she walked inside with Blake. "I made sure that you're rooming next to Yang. Somehow, I get the feeling that either her room, or your room, won't be used during this visit."

"We only just started dating recently," Blake commented. "Plus, with how it got to that point, and living in different states, we're taking things a bit slower than I would like."

"Why not tell her about that?" Weiss asked as she escorted Blake to her room. "I know for a fact that Yang would understand and work with you."

"Maybe," Blake pondered. "For now though, I'm willing to deal with taking things slow. Makes everything worthwhile in the end."

As Blake was answering, Weiss got another text from the gate, letting her know that more people arrived, this time in their own car. "Hey, someone else just showed up," Weiss said quickly. "I gotta go meet with them. The staff can show you to your room. I'm sorry for doing this."

"Weiss, calm down," Blake said. "I understand, so don't try to apologize for being a responsible host. I'll manage."

Having that reassurance, Weiss turned around and swiftly walked down to the front door once again. Before she could reach the door however, she heard the all too familiar cry of the one person she was worried the most about how they would behave while here.

"Ooh my god this place is so damn HUGE!" Nora cried out once she walked into the door.

"Nora," Ren sighed from behind the excited girl.

"Yes, Ren?"

"I'm pretty sure Weiss and her staff don't need to have the level of energy you are projecting right now," he explained.

"Oh right, sorry," Nora said to Weiss one she saw her walking towards them.

"It's quite alright, Nora," Weiss commented. "Just as long as you don't break anything, or cause the staff a hard time. I don't want to have them complain and ask that you not be able to return in the future should we choose to do this again."

"Fair enough," Nora shrugged, before following the staff up to the room she was sharing with Ren.

Before Weiss could follow them up, she received a message from the gate saying that another of her friends arrived, but that they were giving the staff some problems. Being right next to the doors, Weiss walked outside into the snowy weather in order to see what was going on.

It wasn't much of a surprise to see a bright mess of blonde hair bobbing up and down as the owner was shouting at someone, more specifically the family's valet parking attendant.

"You are not touching my baby!" Yang shouted at the guy.

"Please, I am only doing my job," the attendant pleaded, treading lightly for his own safety.

"Nobody, and I mean NOBODY, touches Bumblebee!"

Weiss noticed Ruby shake her head and walked over to her college roommate. "Is she always like this with her car?"

"Yeah, this is no surprise to me one bit," Ruby sighed. "By the way, it's great to see you, Weiss!" Ruby immediately wrapped her arms around the slender woman's frame, drawing a blush from her in the process.

Weiss wasn't going to complain about the hug, though the warm feeling she got was certainly a surprise to her. "It's great to see you, too," she said before returning the hug. Once they held each other long enough, Weiss remembered that Ruby's sister was on the verge of beating a member of her staff.

"Yang, I know that your car is precious to you, but please remember that this man is just trying to do his job," Weiss calmly reminded. "If it helps, you can drive it to the spot he designates, but he is going to hold onto the keys."

Yang took in what Weiss was saying and soon relented. "Fine, but I'm getting pictures of the odometer and gas gauge. If I get back and I learned you 'Ferris Bueller'd' this shit, it's off by even a fraction of what it should be, I'm gonna be pissed."

"Understood, ma'am," the attendant replied before waiting for the rest of the staff to give word that the sister's bags were out. Once he was given the all clear, he climbed into the passenger seat with Yang and the two drove off to park the car.

"Well, that could've gone better," Weiss said.

"Yeah, Yang's really protective of her car," Ruby replied. "I can't tell you how many times she's gotten close to beating the crap out of someone over it."

"Well, once Yang gets back, I'll walk you guys to your rooms," Weiss said. As she finished, one of her family's cars pulled up the the entrance. Once it was parked, the door opened to reveal Jaune Arc.

"Hey, Jaune!" Ruby called to the guy once she noticed him.

"Hey, Ruby," Jaune replied, though not with the same enthusiasm as his red haired friend. "And hello to you, Weiss, I really appreciate the pickup from the airport. The ride over was wonderful, your family cars certainly are comfortable."

"My family does like to have the best," Weiss replied, ignoring his subtle flirting.

"I'll say, these seats did wonders for my back," Jaune complimented. Rolling his shoulders in the process. "I think I finally got that crick out that had been there for a week now."

"How did you manage to get that?" Ruby asked. By that point the staff had pulled Jaune's bag out of the car, and Yang finished walking over to join then.

"Well when you live with seven sisters, most of which are younger than you, they tend to ask for your help with things that they themselves can't do at that point," Jaune explained. "I can't tell you how many piggyback rides I've given within the course of this week since Christmas alone, let alone what happened the day I got back home from school. Everyone who was there piled onto me in one big hug, nearly crushing me."

"Well, you won't have to worry about that here, except maybe Nora, so if you need to take a dip in the hot tub and relax, feel free to do so," Weiss mentioned, leading them into her home.

"So, who are we missing?" Ruby asked.

"Only Pyrrha," Weiss mentioned. "Her flight was delayed getting out of Milwaukee, but she's in the air now, at least from what her messages tell me. I'm sure she'll mention when she's on the ground, but I have a car waiting to pick her up, much like Jaune."

Ruby looked visibly disheartened by that thought, but sighed and nodded her head. "Hopefully she gets here soon," Ruby mumbled.

"I hope so too," Weiss replied. "In the meantime, once you guys are ready, head on down to the rec room. That's where we should be for most of the night."

"Understood, Weiss," Yang commented.

Weiss turned on her heels and walked back down the hallway. She wanted to make sure that everything was in order before this party got underway.

* * *

Once everyone had made their way down to the rec room, Weiss mentioned that the chefs would provide them with all the food they could eat. Yang immediately jumped on the opportunity and grabbed herself some homemade pizza. Other than that, Weiss told everyone about all that she had to offer while they waited for Pyrrha to arrive.

Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves, which eased most of Weiss' worry. There was still one thing in the back of her mind that she wished would happen. Though the odds of it going as well as she was imagining were slim at best.

Eventually, she received a message that Pyrrha had arrived, so she went to go see her in. Once she reached the door, she saw Pyrrha smiling at the sight of her. "Hey!" Pyrrha shouted once Weiss appeared.

"Hello, Pyrrha," Weiss replied. "I'll walk with you up to your room so you can drop your stuff off. The staff will carry everything for you, but if you want to get changed-"

"Don't worry about that," Pyrrha interrupted. "I'm fine wearing this for now."

"Alright, then I guess just follow me to where the others are," Weiss said, leading Pyrrha to the rec room with the others.

As they walked through the halls, the two saw Jaune standing and observing one of the family portraits adorning the walls. "Anything catch your eye there, Jaune?" Pyrrha asked him.

"Oh hey!" he said before giving her a hug. "How was your flight?"

"Eh, could've been worse," Pyrrha replied. "At least it wasn't completely cancelled."

"That's good," Jaune said. "Hey, could you give me a minute, I got some things I want to ask Weiss about."

Pyrrha looked to Weiss and gave her a pat on the back. "Alright, I'll head over to the others. How much further do I have to go?"

"It's just on your left," Weiss replied. The two waited for Pyrrha to head out of sight before Weiss turned to address Jaune. "So, what do you need?"

Weiss noticed that Jaune had turned to the image on the wall, more specifically, the image of Weiss' sister. "Is this your sister?"

"Yeah? What about it?" Weiss asked.

"I saw the uniform," Jaune explained. "Never would have guessed that you would have a sister serving in the navy."

"Well, that's my sister for you," Weiss explained. "Winter never was one to back down, and she really wanted to do this. Now she's the executive officer on the S.S. Atlas, under the command of admiral James Ironwood. Last I heard, she was over in the Mediterranean."

"Must be tough, huh," Jaune said himself. "My oldest sister is also in the navy, on the same ship your sister is on."

"Really? I'll have to mention it to Winter next time I get the chance to talk with her," Weiss replied.

"She's not the only sister I have in the military," Jaune continued. "My twin sister, she joined the army and is training to be a combat medic. Right after I started at Patch, she completed her basic training. That was the weekend I "went home", back at the beginning of the semester."

"I didn't realize," Weiss admitted.

"Eh, it's not something I tell people," Jaune conceded. "My dad, grandfather, I'm pretty sure even my great grandfather as well, they all served in the military. It's just something you get used to."

"Well, I guess you and I have something in common then," Weiss said. "We both have family serving, so we both know what military life can be like."

"Yeah," Jaune said. He was sure that Weiss was about to end the conversation there, but he spoke up before she left. "There's something else I want to talk about."

"What is it?"

"I know that I've been doing a lot puff flirting, and trying to earn your affections, but since that isn't working, I just want to ask instead," Jaune said. "Do you want to go out with me sometime?"

Weiss sighed, she should have expected this. Jaune had been interested in her for a while now and she'd been able to keep him off her back. Now, she just wanted to let him down gently, they were friends after all.

"Look, Jaune," Weiss paused, trying to think of the right words. "You are a great guy, but I'm not interested in you in that way. There are things that I still need to figure out for myself, but I don't want to keep you waiting for something that won't happen.

Sighing and shaking his head, Jaune was simply resigned to his fate. "I understand."

"You are a great guy, and you will find someone for you to be with," Weiss said. "But that person isn't me."

"Then can I ask you a personal question?" Jaune asked, glancing at Weiss as the pair started making their way back to the rec room.

"I guess."

"Guy or…?" Jaune trailed off, not really needing to finish the question

"Honestly I'm not entirely sure myself." Weiss answered, motioning for Jaune to follow her into the rec room. Weiss knew that wasn't the entire truth, she just didn't know if she was willing to face the realization of it all. ' _She may very well be the death of me if I'm not careful, though that may not be so bad… Why do I have to get lost in those silver eyes sometimes? Why?! UGH! I KNOW WHY! I just wish I knew how….to tell her….'_

"JAUNE!"

Weiss was snapped out of her thoughts as Nora blurred past her and clamped onto Jaune in a hug. The only thing he could try to do was pry the girl off him, but Nora's grip was too strong. "W-Weiss, help s-she's crushing me!" He dramatically extended an arm for Weiss to save him.

"I warned you." Weiss said, giving a small smirk before walking away, subconsciously moving closer to her roommate.

Nora finally relinquished her hold on Jaune, effectively leaving him limp as a noodle. "Jaune, Ren and I have this AWESOME game you have to play, come on!" She then grabbed him by his arm and dragged him over to the other side of the room.

They passed by Blake and Pyrrha who were having a pleasant conversation by the surprisingly large bar, his flailing arms nearly connecting with a few drinks that Pyrrha was pouring.

Yang was leaning up against the back of the couch, the fresh homemade pizza she ordered as a partial joke still hot on the plate, giving off a strong aroma of melted cheese and fresh baked bread. With her mouth watering, Yang leaned down to get a good sniff of her eventual meal…

Though Jaune's thrashing arms made it more of a face mask than anything else.

"AUGH!" Yang reeled from the heat from the pizza unexpectedly thrown into her face. One of her arms moved back to help catch herself, but missed most of the table, instead hitting a glass Yang had filled with soda, tipping it towards her and spilling over her pants.

The sudden outcry caused everyone to stop, Nora immediately releasing Jaune, who in turn stopped struggling.

"Oh my god, Yang, are you ok?" Ruby was the first on the scene, trying her best to help her sister however she could.

Jaune was the next to speak up. "Yang, I'm so sorry, I di-"

"GOD DAMN IT, ARC!" Yang gave her accidental aggressor a simple yet pure death glare. She haphazardly threw the remnants of her pizza and plate onto a nearby table, both landing surprisingly safely. "What the hell were you doing?"

Ruby popped up in front of her, "Yang, calm down, it wasn't Jaune's fault."

Yang gently grabbed onto Ruby's shoulder and gently pushed her away, tripping over the leg of the nearby table, and falling face first.

The waiting arms of Weiss Schnee was not the first thing Ruby thought she would hit, but it was a lot better than the ground. A lot warmer, too.

Weiss nearly dropped her phone, in the middle of a message to her staff to come clean the mess, as she saw her roommate stumbling towards her. Weiss instinctively readied into a fencing stance to help balance herself out as Ruby lightly fell right on her chest, a fresh blush coming to the heiress.

The chaos around the room was lost on the two now in each other's arms.

After eventually gaining balance for herself, Ruby moved her face away from her cushion, and straightened herself upright again.

"A-are you ok?" Weiss stammered, her arms still wrapped around the other girl.

"I am now that I'm here with you." The swirling silver eyes of her roommate slowly got closer, Weiss' breathing hitched in her throat and her mind went blank, unable to comprehend what was happening, but not wanting it to stop either.

Ruby's lips got closer and closer to Weiss', everything else in the world fading out of existence.

"Weiss… Wake up"

Weiss' eyes shot open as she took in the ceiling of the rec room, all of her friends looking down at her from the ground. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief as a small groan escaped Weiss' lips.

"What- What happened?" Weiss brought her arm up to her now aching head as she tried to recall what had happened moments before.

Ruby spoke up first, "Well, after Jaune hit Yang's pizza, I stepped in and tried to calm Yang down. Yang pushed me away, causing me to trip, and land straight into you. You weren't prepared for it, so I accidentally head butted you straight to the ground, causing you to hit your head pretty hard on the floor."

"Miss Schnee, are you alright!?" Some of Weiss' staff rushed in, "Please, make way. We need to help Miss Schnee."

"Walter, you may relax," Weiss reassured. "I'm awake and thinking clearly. If you want to check on me that's fine, but at least l let me sit on the couch first."

Everyone in the room was much more lax after hearing that, though they were still waiting on Weiss. As they were walking over, Weiss caught eye of Pyrrha looking towards her with concern, only to turn away once they made eye contact with her cheeks redenned. Yang seemed guilty over nearly causing the host to have what could've been a concussion, even though she seemed relatively fine. Ruby however, seemed to be freaking out internally. Weiss gave her a smile in the hopes that it would help keep the girl's mind at ease.

It certainly seemed to work, but in the process, something kept running through her mind. ' _Why did I have that dream? Does this mean I'm in love with Ruby?_ '

* * *

 **AN: Noble: Ah, the wonders of writing this from your phone at work during your free time. Aside from myself, our editor MartunaMajor has definitely been a huge help this week for me.**

 **Ghost: Not sure why you dragged me in here though. I didn't have anything to do with this.**

 **Noble: Well, you were around for the original moment of the 'pizza conversation', and we have a revised version of that in this chapter. I honestly like this version a lot, but the original is too funny to ignore.**

 **Ghost: Well, aside from the fact that Commander is going to kill you in your sleep for that.**

 **Cmdr: *In distance* YOU FUCKERS!**

 **Noble: Eh, I'm sure it'll be fine. Anyway, now we get to do the fun stuff. That being tease the main pairing in front of your face while having you question which idea we're going for with each and every chapter. IT WILL BE GLORIOUS!**

 **Ghost: Glad I know what it is. Don't ask what it is, because I'm not going to answer.**

 **Noble: None of us will tell...because it is just wonderful and better to see it come to fruition in the end. Anyway, thanks for tuning in this week. It's back to our normal schedule and I'm really glad about that. Remember, reviews are appreciated but not necessary, and I hope you guys have a wonderful day!**

 **(tumbleweed)**


	28. Back in Black

Weiss took a breath as she looked at the school. She shook her head and watched a few people walk in. She saw many holding hands, looking longingly into each other's eyes, and others with their faces locked together. Weiss with a sigh, tried not to look directly at them.

 _Come on, Weiss. Focus. Second semester is here and I need to not let these thoughts distract me…even if she's going to be around me._

"So, what's the resident ice queen up to?" A voice suddenly asked, startling Weiss.

Weiss spun around and saw that Yang was right in front of her face. "Y-Yang?!" She back petaled a few steps. "What is wrong with you?! Sneaking up on me like that!"

Yang laughed. "Yeah, sneaking is more of Blake's thing. So what's up? You're just standing here spacing out."

Weiss turned back around to face the school. "I'm fine, Yang. Why don't you go find Blake…I need to go call my father." She then started to walk away, but Yang grabbed her shoulder. She turned back around with a scowl on her face. "What are you doing?"

"Look, you don't have to bottle anything up. Is someone giving you a hard time? Should I kick their asses? I don't mind." Yang offered.

 _It is someone, but not the way you think. And I doubt you'd kick your sister's ass._

Weiss sighed. "Yang, I promise I'm fine. I'm just a little nervous about the second semester starting is all."

Yang removed her hand from Weiss' arm. "You sure? I mean, you kind of are like always working on some kind of school work. Makes me think you like that stuff more than my sister."

"What?!" Weiss yelled.

"Chill out, Weiss. I was just kidding." Yang looked over her shoulder and noticed Blake fixing up her bag. "Hey, I have to head back to Blake, so-." Yang turned back and saw that Weiss was gone. "The hell? Ugh, how'd she run off like that?"

Blake walked over to the confused and annoyed blonde. "I'm guessing you're suddenly not in the best mood now?"

Yang sighed. "Weiss just walked off, or maybe she ran away from me when I was just trying to see what was up with her."

"She's probably just a little stressed out with the start of the semester, so I wouldn't worry too much. Now tell me again why you walked off when I dropped my things." Blake asked with a hint of anger in her voice.

Yang scratched the back of her head, not realizing when she ran off to talk to Weiss. "I was just a little excited to see Weiss, so you know...I may not have noticed."

Blake sighed and put the rest of her things in her bag. "Uh huh. Get walking so we can get back to the room already. My feet are killing me."

Yang wrapped an arm around her girlfriend and grinned. "And people would call me lazy at times. Does Blakey need a cat nap?"

The black cat groaned at the pun and decided not to fight against the embrace. "You're lucky violence isn't the answer to most things, or you'd be on the ground."

"Wait, isn't the line supposed to be that you're lucky you're cute?" Yang questioned, not realizing that Blake was messing with her.

"It only applies if you're the cute one." Blake smirked, feeling Yang's embrace loosen up a bit, giving her the chance to walk away from her. "Don't stay frozen for too long!" She called out to her girlfriend as she headed to the entrance.

Yang blinked a few times and ran over to catch up to her girlfriend. "W-Wait! I get it! I'm not cute, I'm hot! It makes sense!"

Hearing that made Blake roll her eyes, as she slowed down to let Yang catch up to her. "I swear I need to paint a picture sometimes." She then let out a smile. "Still, she's one of a kind, and I really am lucky to have her in my life."

Yang zipped by and chuckled. "I heard that, kitten. You totally love my nonsense, and I love your calm and coolness. We balance each other out, kinda like Ren and Nora… though they're just as clueless as we were."

Blake was happy to hear Yang talking like that again, since she wanted her to be herself, and not like how she was during new years. "Do you think they're both here yet?"

"Probably, but I'm not really thinking about them right now. I wanna get you all to myself, kitten." Yang smirked.

"Enough, blondie. We just got back and I'd like to rest up a bit after the trip here. And Ruby ran ahead of us earlier, so I'd like to see her and Weiss for more than five minutes." Blake replied.

"You know Rubes wanted to get back in the dorm as soon as possible. And Weiss is probably there with her." Yang assumed.

"Didn't you say Weiss ran off from you earlier?" Blake asked.

"Yeah, she just ran off in like a second, but I still don't know why. Screw it, I'll just ask her when we get back to the dorm. Oh, and I was thinking we should spend the first night back together before we start classes up again. What do you think, Blakey?"

"O-Oh, you mean like a date?" Blake's blush was showing brightly.

"Well if you wanna… we don't have to if-." Yang was silenced when Blake stopped walking. "Blake?"

"Tell me something, Yang. Did you want to go out with me tonight? Please tell the truth." Blake pleaded.

"What do you mean?" Yang was utterly confused by Blake's question.

Blake groaned at how Yang still couldn't get what she was asking. "Look, I don't want you to question yourself anymore. You kept acting so weird during New Years and I need to know why."

"Okay, you say I'm acting weird, but look who's not making any sense."

"Ugh! Yang this is not you. You're confident and you don't question yourself. What the hell are you doing? Like, a date! I'd love that and you're worried I wouldn't want to go on one?!" Blake exclaimed, scaring Yang a bit from the sudden outburst.

Yang took a step back in shock and looked to the ground. "I just don't wanna mess things up with you. Like with... you know, like how we had that stupid fight. I don't want us to go through that again."

Blake took a few steps towards her girlfriend and tapped her forehead. "You know how Weiss calls people dolt? Well you're acting like one right now. Please look at me."

Yang lifted her head and saw the smile on Blake's face. "I'm glad you're not mad at me."

"No shit, you idiot. I'm just trying to tell you that I wanna go on this date and I don't want you doubting yourself with us anymore. Getting together was the hard part, and we're past that." Blake pecked Yang's cheek. "Now do you understand?"

Yang chuckled and noticed that Blake wasn't moving her finger from her forehead. "Yeah, I get it, kitten. Do you forgive me?"

Blake moved her finger from Yang's forehead and leaned in to kiss her. After a few perfect moments, the two pulled away. "I forgive you, but don't question yourself during our date."

"Hi, guys!" Nora shouted down the hall as she ran over. "Ren and I just got here!"

Ren sighed and walked over, a small smile on his face. "How was your trip back?"

"Hey, Ren. Hey, Nora." Yang greeted and continued. "It wasn't so bad, but the waiting to get back here was the worst. Last semester got me so used to being here, and I missed room 205."

"I had a safe trip here. Tukson gave me a ride and, before you ask, no I didn't take a cat nap, Nora." Blake sighed to herself since she already knew her hyperactive friend would try to joke about that.

"Aw, but those are the best!" Nora whined and perked up. "We had an awesome ride back, especially when we picked up a hitchhiker!"

Yang and Blake blinked a few times and looked to Ren, who just shook his head. "That was just a dream she had. She's explained it to me maybe four times today."

"Sounds like a fun dream and all, but Blakey and I wanted to get back to the dorm. You guys heading there?" Yang asked.

"We are." Nora frowned suddenly. "Pyrrha isn't gonna be here till later, so I won't have my roomy with me."

"Jaune won't be here for a few hours too. Do you know if Weiss got here yet?" Ren inquired.

"Yup, she's here, but she's acting a little weird. Come on. Rubes is probably hounding Weiss, so I kinda don't want her to be sent to the infirmary." Yang said as she and the rest of the group walked to their dorm.

* * *

Once they got there, they looked up at the room number. "205. Isn't it exciting, Ren?!" Nora opened the door and ran to her section, running right in.

Ren sighed and walked to his room. "I'll talk to you guys after I finish unpacking."

"Glad to see those two are still the same." Yang knocked on Ruby's door. "Open up, Rubes! It's us!"

Yang took a step back and watched the doorknob turning. After a moment, Ruby opened the door and looked a little worried about something. "Oh, hey, guys."

Blake didn't waste any time when she saw how worried Ruby looked. "Are you okay?"

"Um, well kinda… no. Weiss just threw her stuff on the bed and didn't say hi to me when she walked in." Ruby frowned. "D-Do you think I did something to make her mad? Or maybe something worse, like Weiss is in trouble with someone. Or maybe because of what happened New Years? I did headbutt her pretty hard"

Yang grumbled, not liking how Weiss was acting. "I honestly doubt it, Ruby. That was more my fault than yours. Maybe you and I could talk with her when she gets back."

"I-I don't know. What if she doesn't like us bothering her?" Ruby noted.

Blake spoke up to help Yang with the situation. "You know Weiss won't explode about something like that. Just ask her how she's doing, and if she's not up to talking, then just let her be for a little while."

Ruby nodded, knowing full well her roommate wasn't gonna show up for some time anyways. "So… what do you guys have planned for today?"

Yang grinned. "I'm taking Blakey out for a date tonight. Right, kitten?"

"As long as we can both come back home without any kind of bodily injury, then yes, it'll be a date." Blake smiled.

Yang pouted. "Oh please. Like I'd let anything happen to you during the date I planned for us. Try and have a little faith in me here and there."

"You two are going on a date!" Ruby squealed in excitement. "That's awesome! Where are you gonna go for it?"

Yang's eyes widened, since she actually didn't plan the date at that point. "Oh… uh, well you see. Um, we were gonna go to… shit, Blake. Help me out here."

"Don't look at me. You're the one who said we'll be going on a date, so you have to plan it." Blake sighed when Yang held her head down in defeat. "Oh don't complain. I'm sure you can think of something by tonight. Besides, you did just say to try and have a little more faith in you, so I'm doing just that."

"Ugh, now she chooses to have faith in me." Yang closed her eyes for a moment and thought about where she should take her girlfriend. Blake looked to Ruby about what the blonde was doing, but only got a shrug in return. After about thirty seconds, Yang opened her eyes. "Got it!"

"Uh, got what, sis?" Ruby asked, feeling a bit concerned for her sister's mental health, though more in a joking matter than real concern.

"Can't say yet, but I promise it'll be fun! And you're gonna love it!" Yang said to Blake, who was still a bit confused. "Our date! I know where to take you, but it's gonna be a secret, okay?"

"Well I did say I have faith in you." Blake smiled, assuring Yang that she was on board with whatever she had planned.

* * *

The rest of the day went well for the bumbleby pair, as they were both getting ready to head out for their date. Ruby was excited for the two, but still saddened by the fact that her roommate had only shown up to get some rest. She said hi to her, but Ruby was too nervous to ask her if there was something wrong. Jaune also showed up at around six, which gave him enough time to unpack and say hi to everyone before Ruby pulled him over.

Ruby made sure to whisper when she asked. "Jaune, I wanted to know if you'd be cool with helping me spy on Blake and Yang during their date."

Jaune was instantly fearful for his life, since getting caught spying on Yang was not something he wanted to imagine, so he made sure to whisper as well. "I-I don't think that's a good idea. What if they find out we're-?"

"They won't. Trust me. Now are you in, or not?" Ruby questioned.

"Why me, why not take Nora or Weiss?" Jaune asked, hoping for some way out of this.

"Well, 1. I need a car, 2. Nora is too loud and Weiss would shut this down immediately, and 3. You are the only one I trust for this mission! Now please will you help me?"

Jaune sighed. "I'm gonna regret this later… I just know it."

* * *

Ruby and Jaune made sure to stay a good distance away from the bumbleby couple as they were tailing them, hiding behind Jaune's prius. Jaune was inwardly freaking the fuck out though, so Ruby had to drag him along at times.

"Is it really that hard to follow them, Jaune? It's not like they'll see us if we're quiet enough." Ruby noted, trying her best to keep her friend from blowing their cover.

"You get to feel calm because Yang won't kill you, but if she finds out, then I'm screwed, Ruby!" Jaune then covered his mouth after a second of realizing his mistake.

Blake's ears perked up at the sudden shouting and smirked to herself. "What's that look you got on ya, Blakey?" Yang asked.

"Oh nothing." Blake smiled as she looked up at the Golden Lane's sign. "I've got to say, I'm impressed that you managed to pull this off." Blake took a few steps forward and swayed her hips to give Yang a special treat.

Yang's jaw dropped and her face was as red as a lobster. "What. The. Fuck?"

"Better hurry, blondie!" Blake called out from the inside of the restaurant.

Yang quickly recovered from her hypnotized daze and ran in. "W-Wait up!"

Ruby giggled as she watched her sister run inside. "I can't believe Blake just did that. Huh, Jaune?" Ruby didn't get a response and turned to Jaune, who had his back turned to her. "Um, Jaune? What are you doing?"

The blonde boy had a blush on his face. "I am not looking! If I don't, then Yang doesn't have a reason to kill me."

Ruby rolled her eyes at that and grabbed her binoculars to spy on them from a distance, using one of the windows to get a good view on them. She watched the two laughing as they were sat down waiting on their food.

It brought a smile on Ruby's face, seeing her sister enjoying something like that. It made her think about wanting to do the same with someone close to her too.

"How long do you think it'll be for them to bring our food? I skipped out on lunch to make sure whatever I buy here is scarfed down." Yang said while fiddling with her utensils that were given to her before the food arrived.

"So, how crazy do you think this semester will be compared to the last one?" Blake asked.

"Hmm, I'd say about twice as crazy. I just hope you can handle all of that crazy, kitten." Yang winked at her.

Blake playfully rolled her eyes as the waiter showed up. "Here you are, ladies." He gently deposited the plates in front of each of them. "Enjoy your meal." He walked off from the two took a second to enjoy the smell.

Yang had a large and juicy steak, grilled asparagus with bacon wrapped around it, thin slices of tomatoes grilled with basil, with a baked potato cut open topped with sour cream and cheese.

Blake, on the other hand, ordered grilled salmon topped with a lemon, on a bed of buttered noodles and a side of squash.

Yang went for the steak first, and cut off a piece. "How's the salmon, kitten?" She took a bite of her steak and felt like she was in heaven. Blake was busy eating her salmon to answer and Yang smirked at the love of fish her girlfriend had. "Am I gonna lose you to a plate of fish, Blakey?"

"Well you better step up your game if you're feeling that concerned." Blake smirked.

Ruby continued watching Blake and Yang through her binoculars. "Well, what do you see now, Ruby?"

"They're eating, and they look so happy." Ruby said in a soft tone. "Maybe we should head back, Jaune." She lowered her binoculars. "I don't wanna ruin this for them."

"Oh now you see how much of a waste of time this was." Jaune groaned. "Why'd you even wanna spy on them anyways?"

"I just wanted to make sure they… wait." Ruby lifted her binoculars and looked towards Blake, who was actually looking at her direction. "Oh… crap."

"What? What's going on, Ruby?" Jaune started to get nervous and wondered what Ruby was even staring at.

"Blake found us…" Ruby replied meekly, slowly lowering herself behind the car.

Jaune threw his hands up into the air, grasping onto his hair "I knew it! I knew we would get caught, and now I need to write out my will so that my stuff can go to who needs it the most. Ruby, do you have a piece of paper I can use?"

Ruby smacks Jaune's knee. "Shut up and pull yourself together, Jaune. We gotta get out of here."

"Right, I'm right behind you."

Blake smiled as she saw Ruby and Jaune scurry away, focusing back on Yang as she moved her head into her line of sight. "Am I boring you?"

Blake chuckled, "No, it's not you. We had some unexpected guests trying to sneak a quick glimpse at us."

"What?" Yang quickly swiveled around, looking out the window behind her, but saw nothing. "Who was it, who are the perverts? Show me who I have to punch!"

Blake reached over and grabbed Yang's hand, instantly soothing her anger and focusing her back to the dinner. "First, we enjoy the rest of our date. I'll tell you about the little peepers later. Sound good?"

Yang sighed and began to calm down. "Yeah, okay, just as long as I get to kick someone's ass."

Blake chuckled and went back to eating her food.

* * *

After some time passed, the bumbleby pair got their things ready and headed out, but Yang made sure that Blake didn't spend a penny on their food. She told her girlfriend that she wanted to prove she could do right for her.

"I… really enjoyed this, Yang." Blake smiled and gave her girlfriend a peck on the cheek. "You've really outdone yourself for something that was just our first date."

"Well I loved it too, Blakey, but you know, we're not done with our date. We've got one more thing to do to end it." Yang took Blake's arm and ran her over to the park. Once they got there, Yang simply sat down on one of the benches and patted the seat next to her. "Come on, kitten."

Blake didn't hesitate and sat next to the blonde, feeling Yang pull her into a one armed hug. "A peaceful way to end the night, huh? Who are you and what have you done with my girlfriend?"

Yang patted Blake's back. "She's off beating the shit out of who was spying on us, so you'll have to deal with me for a bit. Is that okay with you, kitty?"

Blake chuckled and rested her head on Yang's shoulder. "I think that's just fine, though just make sure she doesn't beat Ruby too badly."

* * *

Ruby and Jaune rushed into the dorm room, slamming the door behind them and bracing against it. After a few moments of silence, Ruby turned to Jaune. "Do you think they followed us?"

"Well, they're coming back here anyway, so-"

Suddenly, the door knob started jiggling and the door tried to open, but was blocked by Ruby and Jaune. "Oh god, they're here for my head!" Jaune said, repositioning himself to keep the door shut.

Resounding booms came from the other side, "Fucking let me in!"

Both of them immediately realized who it was and opened the door, revealing Pyrrha with her travel bags.

Ruby took a step forward, "Oh my god, Pyrrha I'm-"

"No" Pyrrha said

"Pyrrha, are you-"

"No" Pyrrha interrupted Jaune this time, pushing past the two of them and dragging herself to her room.

Ruby rushed back into the room, "Pyrrha, do you need-"

"No" Pyrrha whined, reaching the door to her room and forcing it open.

"Pyrrha, what's going-" Jaune was shot down immediately

"Shut up! I'm going to bed! Don't touch me until morning." And with that, the door slammed shut in their faces, leaving them speechless.

Nora suddenly came flying out of the room shortly after, barely able to maintain her balance as she was caught by Jaune.

"Nora, what's going on with Pyrrha?" Ruby asked, worried about her friend.

"Well," Nora began, "She's a bit of a bitch when she's tired. So I'll give her five minutes to unpack until I try to get back in."

That was when the door opened back up, Yang and Blake sliding their way into the room wrapped up in each other's arms and giggling uncontrollably.

Once Yang saw her sister, though, all bets were off. "Ruby! I need a word with you."

"Wait, what about me?" Jaune asked, coming out from behind Nora where he was hiding.

Yang glared at Jaune, "You get a free pass. But this is a warning, Arc."

"Yes, ma'am," Jaune squealed as he scurried back into his room.

Ruby sighed as she was lead into Yang's room, Blake following close behind with a smile on her face. "How do I bail her out of this one?"

* * *

 **AN: Noble: Well, that went well. How much do you want to bet things get even crazier for the gang?**

 **Shadow: Well you saw how their return went. Already one day in and Ruby is in some serious trouble. Hopefully Blake can save her from Yang's fury.**

 **Noble: Well… considering what we have coming up next chapter… things will be getting good. Let's hope everyone likes what our dear lymle has written for this.**

 **Shadow: You better not fuck it up, Lymle! Jk, I know he's got this.**

 **Noble: Yeah… I really do like what he's gotten for this next chapter. Pure humor ahead, just so you know. That is his specialty afterall.**

 **Shadow: Yeah, that's true. Maybe everyone here will slowly start to see what we have planned ahead now. We did make it a bit obvious.**

 **Noble: It's not like we've been subtle about it. I would say more, but I can't say anything else about it without spoilers.**

 **Anyway, thanks for tuning in to this week's chapter. Hopefully you enjoyed it and we'll see you around next week!**

 **(tumbleweed)**


	29. Truth or Die

"Guys, I got 8 shot glasses and 4 bottles of tequila, ya know what this means?" Yang said, bursting through the door, materials in hand.

"That this won't end w-"

"Truth or Dare time!" Yang yelled as she cut Ruby off.

"And just why would we all let ourselves be dragged into this?" Weiss interjected. "I have important work to do tonight and tomorrow morning, and that's not even thinking of anyone else here."

"I'm in 200%! This is gonna be awesome!" Nora shouted, almost directly into Yang's ear.

"Well, you have my answer as well." Ren continued.

"While it probably won't be good for my self esteem or health, I'll join in too." Jaune replied.

"I think it could be fun, so I'll join you guys." Pyrrha said in her usual polite tone.

"I would decline, but I don't have anything else to do and I lost the book I've been reading, so why not." Blake chimed in.

"I kinda have to be in, someone has to keep an eye on all you guys to keep you from getting too crazy." Ruby now as well confirmed.

"So, you got your answer Ice Queen, what's it gonna be?" Yang boasted

" _Urgh_ fine, I suppose I will participate. But if things get out of hand, I'm out!" Weiss replied reluctantly.

"Alrighty then, we got ourselves a game!"

* * *

"Okay, so we got 8 glasses, and 4 bottles. Each room gets their own bottle, half a bottle per person. Since I decided to start this, I'll go first!"

Weiss could tell this wouldn't end well, especially by the way Yang and Nora had been over hyped for the game itself.

"Alright… Rubes, truth or dare!"

"U-uh, truth I guess." Ruby replied, wary of what Yang could have in store.

"Alright, you got someone you like?" Yang asked with a sly grin.

"Hey Yang, did you know this isn't high school?" Weiss shot at Yang.

"Yeah yeah, whatever. Anyways, spill it Ruby!"

"W-well um…." Ruby glanced around at the roommates in the circle surrounding her. "Yes?"

"Wait, really? Who is it?!"

"I'm pretty sure she answered your ONE question." Weiss interjected, seeing the discomfort on Ruby.

"Fine…. Ruby, your turn." Yang said reluctantly.

"Okay, um…. Blake, truth or dare."

"Truth."

"Okay, what's the weirdest thing you've done?"

"I'll skip that question." Blake said quickly, not even taking a second thought.

"Then drink up, Blake!" Yang explained to the suspicious acting faunus.

Blake proceeded to take the first shot of the night, the first of many. After downing the liquid, feeling the kick of the alcohol, she proceeded with her turn.

"Okay, Weiss. Truth or Dare?"

"Truth." The heiress responded.

"C'mon guys, this'll get boring if it's just truths!" Yang exclaimed, feeling the boredom slowly overtaking her mind.

"Fine then, I'll take a dare. Happy now?" Weiss replied in annoyance.

"Alright, then I dare you to call your father and insult him." Blake said, pulling a smirk.

"I'll take a drink."

"Ugh, dares aren't dares if you don't do them!" The blonde yelled, now feeling the boredom swallowing her whole.

"Well, it's my turn." Weiss looked around the room, watching several others poor alcohol for themselves. All of them, actually, except for Ruby and... "Ren, truth or dare?"

"For the sake of the game, I'll take a dare." Ren replied

"Alright then, I dare you to umm," Weiss' eyes wandered around the dorm, then settled on the person sitting right next to him, "I don't know, kiss Nora in front of us."

Ren did this pretty easily, being used to Nora's previous shenanigans.

"Okay, done."

"Wooow. So 'dare'-ing, Ren. But it's not like Weiss was very good with her dare either." Yang said with the sarcastic pun and a smirk.

"I don't do these stupid games! Plus, I don't have much relationship experience, so just continue." Weiss responded, not wanting to deal with Yang's immaturity at the moment.

"Well, whatever the case, it's my turn. Nora, truth or d-"

"Dare!" Nora said, interrupting Ren.

"Alright, I dare you to make the weirdest face you can."

"Booo! Ren's takin it easy on her!" Yang protested.

Ren looked at Yang with a smile. "You don't understand, Yang. Making weird expressions is nearly impossible for Nora. I'm not sure why, but I don't question it."

Ren's statement was proven when Nora tried and failed, many times. It caused a good few chuckles from the rest of the group, however.

"I'll just drink…." Nora muttered, accepting her defeat.

"It's not like you haven't been drinking this entire time, Nora." Jaune stated, pointing out that this was Nora's 3rd drink.

"Well everyone's been drinking, so it's not just me!" She pointed around, catching Blake, Pyrrha, and Yang in the middle of a shot. "Fine then, truth or dare, Jaune?"

"I'll take a dare then, Nora. What do you got?" Jaune said, provoking the redhead.

"I dare you to cut off a bit of Yang's hair!"

"Uh, I don't think that's a good idea!" Ruby exclaimed, knowing Yang's defensiveness over her hair.

"Well, Jaune can pass if he's a wimp, but we'll forever look down on you! Hehehe, hahah, HAHAHAHAHA!" Nora yelled, finishing with a maniacal laugh.

"W-whatever, I'll do it!" Jaune struggled to get out.

"No you won't." Yang replied.

"Come on Yang, it's a dare, I have t-"

"I will beat you with your own skull, Vomit boy!" Yang returned, with hate in her eyes.

"Oh god don't hurt me! I'll take the drink, alright?!" Jaune said, cowering away from the angry beast that was Yang.

"Hah, priceless…" Nora said smiling.

"Fine, you wanna be like that, I dare you to down a whole bottle of hot sauce!" Jaune cried after downing his shot.

"Wait aren't you supposed to ask-"

"You're on!" Nora stated, cutting Weiss' question off.

After a quick trip into the kitchen, Nora returned with the new, unopened bottle of hot sauce they'd just bought a day previous.

"This won't be pretty." Ren stated.

"You're so fucked!" Jaune added in.

"Don't push yourself, Nora!" Pyrrha warned.

Nora had tuned the rest of the voices out, and proceeded to start chugging the bottle. After about 30 seconds, her face had turned a deep red, and she had to take the bottle away from her mouth. With coughs and wheezes being the only noises she made, Nora went to the bathroom to what everyone could assume was throw it all up.

"Ugh, Oh god it's only worse coming back up!" Could be heard from the bathroom door.

Just as Ren was about to check on Nora, she had returned to her seat, looking as if she had lost about 5 years of her life. Ren was going to offer Nora a drink, but she snatched the bottle away and drank that for some time. She thought it would be a good idea, though somehow it helped her.

"There," _huff huff_ "did it, bitch!" Nora stated proudly, with a scratchy voice and sweat coming down her forehead.

"Oh yeah, you did it Nora." Jaune struggled to say, fighting back more tears and laughter.

"Alright, my turn again." Nora said, thinking out her plan of attack.

The room was silent for a little while, Nora thinking up a storm. However, after some time she finally broke the silence.

"Pyrrha!"

"Y-yes?" said the startled woman, an unfinished shot in her hands.

"You've been awfully quiet this whole time, and no one's challenged you yet…."

"Alright, I'll take a dare then."

Normally, Pyrrha would have taken the better alternative and chosen truth, but with the earlier laughs and alcohol getting to her, she hadn't been thinking straight.

"You'll probably regret that, cause I want you to take a body shot!" Nora exclaimed.

"A w-what?!"

"A body shot! It's where you take a shot off someone else's body. And I don't want it to just be anyone, it's gotta be Weiss!"

"I'm tipsy, but I still won't do that!" Weiss yelled, not having any more of their shenanigans.

"Come on, if you two do this, the games over and you guys win!"

"One, ya don't 'win' Truth or daaaare. Two, I'm the one that started it, and I think I should s-say when it ends." Yang managed to slur out.

"Well, can it end if they do it?" Nora asked.

"... Yeah, sure." The brawler said in her drunken state.

"Well, I-I can do it, if you can do it, Weiss. It's for the good of the group." Pyrrha stated, feeling the tequila take its toll.

"I c-can't believe…. Fine, if it ends this stupid game…." Weiss conceded.

"Okay, now this is gettin interestin!" Yang cheered.

So, with the dare set in motion, Weiss hesitantly took off her shirt, granting quite a bit of attention from one person in particular, and laid on the floor. Nora wasted no time in pouring a small amount of alcohol into her belly button, causing the heiress to flinch at the feeling.

"Well, you're all set, Pyrrha. Go ahead." Nora commented, pushing Pyrrha to start already.

The tall redhead leaned in closer to Weiss. If she were completely sober, this would have been out of the realm of possibility for both of them. But, given that they weren't sober, inhibitions were three shots to the wind, or more depending on who you asked. But, Pyrrha steeled herself, bent down, and sipped the alcohol off Weiss' pale body.

Weiss squealed at the suddenness of Pyrrha's lips on her body, and the weird feeling of the alcohol being sucked from her belly.

"T-there, are we done now?" Pyrrha mumbled, looking anywhere but at Weiss as she was finding it impossible to hide her growing blush.

"Yeah whatever, that was hilarious!" Yang tried saying through her drunken laughter.

"I can't believe I allowed that…." Muttered a quickly heating Weiss, using her arms to cover her exposed body.

"Okay Weiss and Pyrrha did the dare, now we're done and no more for today!" Ruby said quicker than any sentence said all week. Her blush, too, was growing at a steady pace.

"Wait, what if…. We had Blake and Yang do it too?!" Nora added.

"Okay, like I said, no more. It's sleepy time for drunken roommates!" Ruby exclaimed before anyone could interject. Her being the only responsible person and not drinking their stomachs full, she took the time to guide each respective group to their rooms.

With everyone now in their own rooms, Ruby was left alone with Weiss. Not only that, a drunken Weiss. The younger girl learned that night that Weiss was very clingy when she had a few drinks in her. And so, Ruby had been stuck in one position pressed up against Weiss for the entire night, since she couldn't exactly sleep.

* * *

 **AN: Noble: Well, I'm gonna keep this short today. Lymle couldn't join today so it's just me. Hopefully you enjoyed this, even if it's just a nice little fluffy moment to pass the time until we get back to the main stuff. Hopefully you picked up on a few things though that are relevant later on down the road.**

 **On an unrelated note, we have a that you can use to donate to the Legion. That will help us with things such as gathering new microphones for streaming and podcast recordings, or other technologies that we will use to benefit you.**

 **Thanks for tuning in this week, and I hope you enjoyed this week's chapter!**


	30. Zwei Across the Border

Yang and Blake stumbled into the room, the haze from the truth or dare game still clouding their minds. Ruby made sure they were standing upright before giving her sister a glare and closing the door. Both of them stood for a moment, attempting to reorient themselves before finally succumbing to the more sober requests of their minds to get some sleep.

Yang dropped onto her bed, grabbing a fist full of blanket, and cacooning herself on top of them, a mass of blonde hair and a flushed face the only things visible.

Blake, unlike her girlfriend, tried to be sensible and change into pajamas, though that plan quickly went out the window after struggling for five minutes just to get her shoes off. She begrudgingly accepted defeat as she laid back on her bed, staring off into the dark nothingness.

"Heyyyy, Blake."

"What, Yang?"

"What do you think of our relationship."

Blake's eyes slowly closed as she was trying to process the question. "Yang, are you asking if us dating is a good idea again?"

"Pff" Yang called back, "hardly. I'm asking if you like how this whole thing has gone."

Blake stayed silent for a few moments, pondering how to respond. "Well, I think this is better asked when we aren't drunk." She barely managed to get across without slurring.

"Boooo!" Yang cried, grabbing a spare pillow and chucking it across the room. The only thing the two heard was a crash as the pillow collided with something off in the darkness. "Whops. But still, if you're as drunk as I am, then you'll be more honest with me and then maybe, just maybe, we can stop with this tired bullshit for a few days. Everyone has said they just want us to talk about something else, so just out with it, Kitten."

"Fine!" Blake said, accepting defeat. "I want to move faster. I know getting together right before the holidays meant that we couldn't see each other, but I want to move further with you. We've had the same bedroom for months, you've seen me with my pants down more times than anyone else in my life, and I know you feel the same for me as I do for you."

The next thing Blake heard was another large crash, though more the sound of a body hitting the floor. "God damnit!"

"Yang, you ok?" Blake moved herself to try to see in the darkness, catching Yang on the floor before her bed wrapped up in her blankets.

"Yeah, I'm-" Yang struggled for a moment to free herself from her restraints, her drunken haze making it far more difficult than it should've been. "Mother fucker, just get off me!" She finally wrangled herself free from her blanket cocoon and stood in front of her girlfriend triumphantly who was laying on her bed, one hand covering her mouth to cover her laughs.

Once she calmed down a bit, Blake turned back to Yang. "Are you trying to do what I think you're going to do?" Neither Blake nor Yang could hide their smiles.

"Like I said, if you're as drunk as I am, then yes. Now scoot that beautiful Bella-booty over." As Yang crawled on top of the bed, she positioned herself sideways to face her girlfriend, who was also laying sideways, their faces inches apart. "So, this is what your bed is like… No wonder you masturbate, you have great support here."

Blake slapped Yang's arm, "Another comment like that and I'm sending you out of this whole dorm without a key."

Yang simply giggled as she stared at Blake through the darkness. "So, how do you feel about pets?"

"What?"

"Well, I want to get to know you, so I figured I might as well start here."

"With asking about pets?"

"Fuck off, I'm drunk."

They both just laughed, settling back into a quiet peace between them before Blake answered. "Well, it should come to no surprise that I'm uncomfortable around dogs. Other than that, I guess I've always liked cats. Tukson had a cat when I was real little, though it died it its sleep while I was growing up."

"Ooh, that's so sad."

"I always like to think it didn't suffer or feel pain. Just drifted off in the night. Very peaceful, if I do say so. That's just what I think, anyway." Blake stared off into the darkness past Yang.

"So," Yang started, trying to bring the mood back up before they finally crash, "why are you uncomfortable around dogs?"

Blake focused back on Yang before lowering her head and brushing her cat ears all over her girlfriend's face. Yang spat and sputtered, trying to get out of the onslaught in one piece. "Alright, alright, I get it."

Though as the silence descended on the two in bed, snuggled up together, Yang's last drunk thought went to a plan most dastardly. Though she would need help.

* * *

 _Knock knock knock_

Yang stood outside the door, not very patiently, with one fist full of painkillers and water in the other. The door opened, revealing Jaune, as if he'd just climbed out of bed. He looked at Yang, freshly showered, wearing a white and beige jacket, decorated brown at the shoulders and arms, with a pair of grey shorts, black stockings, black combat boots, and a pair of sunglasses on.

"Nope," And he turned around and closed the door.

"Wait, Jaune!" Yang furiously pounded on the door, trying to get a response. After a minute, she turned away, slightly dejected. But it instead gave her another idea.

 _Knock knock knock_

After a few moments, Pyrrha emerged from her room, looking worse than Jaune did, and glared at Yang. "What?" She whispered between her teeth.

Yang stood for a second, trying to weigh which options wouldn't get her killed. "I need your help?" She said hesitantly, subconsciously leaning away.

"Is it important?" Pyrrha said, her eyes darting between Yang's closed fist, the glass of water, and back at her face.

"Yes," Yang said, reaching out her closed fist, "I even brought a peace offering."

Pyrrha reached out her hand and accepted what was in the closed fist. The hand opened and 15 painkiller pills pild onto Pyrrha's hand. Her eyes widened as Yang also offered forward the glass of water. "Jesus shit, Yang. I may be hung over, but I am not taking this many pills at once!" Pyrrha said, which elicited a snort from Pyrrha's roommate behind her.

Yang looked down at the pills, lifting the sunglasses off her face to look, and immediately put them back on from the sudden brightness. "Oh Jesus fuck." Yang dramatically clutched her face over her eyes, making sure to keep the water as steady as she could.

Pyrrha quickly grabbed the cup from Yang, gave her a more blinding death glare, and said, "Give me 15 minutes," before disappearing back into her room.

Yang stood there satisfied for a few moments before the door opened back up to Pyrrha shoving the empty cup back at Yang and darting off to the bathroom with her essentials for a shower.

Once Pyrrha was showered, clothed, and not ready to tear anyone's head off, she sat with Yang at the table, each with a bowl of cereal for breakfast. "So, what's this important thing you need help with?" Pyrrha began, eating another spoonful of cereal.

"I want to sneak my dog into the dorm."

Pyrrha nearly choked on her bite, taking a few moments to compose herself before answering. "What? Why the hell do you want to sneak your dog into the dorm room?"

Yang opened her mouth, prepared with the answer, until realizing how dumb it sounded after it ran through her brain. ' _Welp, I guess I'm committed'_ she thought as she answered Pyrrha's question. "Because I think it would be great to have a dog here and, well, because Blake is uncomfortable with them."

Pyrrha stared at Yang for a minute, trying to rationalize the blonde's thought process. "Alright, so, you want to bring your dog here to… make your girlfriend more comfortable around dogs?"

Yang's face brightened, "Yes, exactly!"

Pyrrha continued to stare, "Yang, that is the single **WORST** fucking idea I've ever heard." Yang's face fell at that. "However…" Yang's face brightened up again. "I remember your dog from Thanksgiving and, I gotta say, I really miss him."

"Exactly! That's why, if we bring Zwei here, then we can see him every day!" Yang exclaimed.

"But that also brings up the question of how do we take care of him?"

"We feed him, take him out for walks and potty breaks, and with all eight of us having different schedules, there's almost guaranteed someone who's going to be here for him."

"No, Yang, how do we do all that while making sure no one knows he's here? We aren't allowed to have pets in the dorm."

Yang paused for a moment, though already had the perfect answer. "A box."

"Jesus Yang, really? We smuggle the poor thing around in a god damn box?" Pyrrha said, at her limit with this conversation.

"He's been through way worse." Yang admitted

"I don't want to hear about it," Pyrrha said, standing and grabbing her unfinished bowl of cereal and carrying it to the sink.

"Wait, what if we just ask Glynda? I'm sure she'll give us a free pass for this." Yang said.

Pyrrha took another bite of her cereal before dumping the rest into the sink. "No, Yang, she won't. We're already breaking so many rules with having Ren and Jaune rooming with us. Not to mention we got locked out last semester which already took us from bad to worse. One more slip up and we're all gone from this school. Good bye Patch, hello college hunting, and I can't do that for a third time."

Pyrrha left her dishes in the sink and stormed off. "You can do what you want, but don't expect any help from me." She disappeared into her room, closing the door behind her.

Yang just sat as her flimsy plan fell apart in front of her. That is until a very telling white night gown brushed past her vision and the person sat down in the seat opposite her. "I think I can help."

The mischievous smile grew on Yang's lips as she and her most unlikely accomplice devised a plan to smuggle Zwei.

* * *

Yang pulled up in her Camaro as Weiss, dressed in a white pea coat that flowed effortlessly into a white skirt with thigh high boots, descended into the car. They both did a once over on each other and smiled, ready to take their plan and put it into action.

Driving out of the college, the ride towards Yang's house remained pretty quiet between the two, until Weiss broke the silence.

"Yang."

"Yes, Weiss?"

"It's quite interesting that you have yet to ask for my reasonings behind helping you today."

"Well, since I'm assuming you heard my conversation with Pyrrha, I'm sure you have your own reasons for helping me."

"Well, that reason comes into play now."

"How do you mean, Weiss?"

"Well, Yang, I need your help with something very important."

"Ok."

"I also need this to be a complete secret from anyone."

"Alright."

"Yang." Weiss turned to face Yang, glaring needles towards her.

Yang remained silent, ready for whatever Weiss had to say, though she stayed quiet as well. After a few moments, Yang finally responded. "You know, I can't really look at you to get the full effect of that glare, but I understand. Trade a favor for a favor. I will help you with anything you need, no judgement, and with complete discretion. So, what do you need?"

"I… I need to confess my romantic feelings towards your sister."

The silence in the car lasted for a few minutes, Yang concentrating on the road, until Weiss broke the silence again. "Yang…"

"I heard ya, I just…" She trailed off as she put on her blinker and exited the highway. She drove down an abandoned street just off the main road, killed the engine, and turned to her passenger. "Alright, so, run that by me again."

Weiss sighed, "I really like Ruby."

Yang kept a straight face, "So what do you need my help with?"

"W-well," Weiss started, "you know Ruby better than anyone else I know, and I've never really done this before, so I figured kill two birds with one stone and ask you for help. It just so happens that you needed someone else with this situation and, well, I guess everything just clicked."

Yang nodded her head in understanding. "Well, it is January. You know what that means?" Weiss looked back in confusion, though Yang answered her own question. "What's more romantic than going on your first date on Valentine's day?"

Weiss' eyes bulged, "Wait, what? What do you mean first date?"

A small smirk crossed Yang's face at Weiss reaction, seeing her cheeks starting to redden. "Weiss, please relax and don't even think about it. Once this plan right now is over, I'll get you squared away with my sister, and then destiny will have its way with you."

"What does that mean?"

"Oh, you'll see." Yang winked at Weiss as she started the car again and resumed their trip back to Yang's house.

* * *

Yang pulled up to a parking spot in the university's parking garage, parking the car, and turning off the engine. She turned to Weiss, with a whimpering box in her lap, and flashed a smile. "Well, that could've gone worse."

Weiss scoffed, "Well it could've gone a lot better! It's a miracle your mother was there when she was or else I could've died!"

"Oh come on, Princess," Yang waved off, opening her door, "no need to be so dramatic, your shoes held up fine. You're lucky I caught you before you fully fell out the window."

"Hanging from a second story window by nothing more than my shoe wasn't how the plan was supposed to go! If you had simply followed what we discussed, then maybe we wouldn't have set fire to half your neighbor's garden!" Weiss snapped back, opening her door and getting out, careful not to shake the box she had.

"But, you do have to admit, it is a great story to tell someone some day. Might write about it and put it online." Yang said, closing her car's door behind her and locking it.

"Yang Xiao Long, I forbid you from doing just that." Weiss said, sending another glare at Yang.

Yang sighed as they made their way back to the dorm. "Fine, I guess the world will never know of our fantastic adventures."

As the two made their way back to the dorm, Weiss relinquished her hold on Zwei and gave it to Yang, whose soothing presence calmed the dog that was currently trapped in the box, two hand holds in the sides allowing air to get in.

As they walked along, Weiss was a few steps ahead to warn if any staff, especially Glynda, was nearby so that Yang had a moment to prepare if anyone questioned her. She already had an alibi in place, but being confident when they asked the question was a great way to avoid detection.

They went up the last set of stairs, turned the corner, and were outside of their room without incident. Weiss unlocked the door, held it open for Yang, retreated inside, and closed the door. Once the sound of the lock clicked into place, Yang and Weiss let out a breath of relief.

"Oh, hey guys, whatcha got there?" Ruby asked from the couch, sitting next to Pyrrha and watching something on TV

"Oh, you'll love this, sis." Yang said as she placed the box on the floor, opened the lid, and waited.

A happy bark was the first indication of life as Zwei hopped out of the box, taking a moment to look around before a squeal caught his attention.

" _ **ZWEEEEIIIII"**_

In a flash, Ruby had jumped off the couch and nearly tackled the small dog, grabbing him into a hug as she cuddled with him on the ground like a child with a stuffed animal. Zwei was accustomed to this, however, as he started licking Ruby's face with affection.

The sudden call brought forth the remaining residents of room 205, Jaune coming out from his room, Ren and Nora from hers, and Blake poking her head out, hoping she could go back to reading in peace. The thought was quickly squashed as Yang locked eyes with her.

"Blake, you gotta come meet Zwei!" Yang called, rushing over and attempting to drag Blake out of the room.

Blake got a good look at the dog Ruby had finally relinquished and held out for everyone to see, her eyes widening with the realization. But it was too late, Yang had reached her, grabbed her arm, and tried to drag her out of the room.

After a couple of moments of resistance, Yang looked back at her girlfriend with confusion. "Everything ok?"

Blake flashed her attention between Yang and Zwei, panic rising in her face. "Do you remember what I told you last night?"

"Yeah."

"And you brought a dog to the dorm? How long is it going to stay?" Blake asked, trying to retreat back to her room.

Yang turned back to Zwei, though was impossible to see past the circle of roommates crowding around it. "Um, as far as I can see, forever?"

"Forever?" Blake said, her eyes widening, "But what if Glynda finds out?"

 _Knock knock knock_

Everyone froze, slowly turning to look at the main door. The silence lingered as Yang let go of Blake's hand. She directed Ruby to take Zwei into her room, and after scooping up Zwei in one hand and Weiss in the other, disappeared into their room. Yang couldn't help but smile at that.

 _Knock knock knock_

Everyone else was frozen still, prompting Yang to move to the door. She gripped the doorknob tightly and slowly opened the door ever so slightly so she could see out.

Light brown rabbit ears calmed Yang immediately as Velvet stood in front of the door, the usual bright smile on her face dropping into concern. "Hello, Yang. Did I interrupt something? I can come back later, if that would be better."

"No no, no worries, Velvet. What brings you here?" Yang said, opening the door wider and stepping out into the doorway.

"Well, I was wondering if Jaune was here? Him and I have the same class this semester, and I was wondering if I could study with him." Velvet said, adopting her cheery attitude again.

"Oh, yeah, he's right here, actually." Yang said, opening up the door and returning back to the room. "Jaune, this lovely lady is here to see you."

Jaune blushed as he went to the door, trying his best to stay calm about the newest addition to the room.

Yang turned back to the others in the room going about their business, but caught Blake's signal from her room. Yang sighed as she made her way over to the room, Blake dragging her in and closing the door.

"You brought a dog here when I specifically told you that I'm uncomfortable with them?" Blake said, more curious than angry.

"Well, what's a better way to get over it than to be with the most well behaved dog in the world?" Yang said with a cheesy smile, hoping to cheer her girlfriend up.

Blake sighed, "Fine, I'll accept this, but this room is off limits. Not a single piece of fur in this room or so help me, you will not find its body."

Yang attempted to chuckle the threat off, but the fire in her girlfriend's eyes quickly extinguished that. She cleared her throat, "I understand, Kitten. I will do my best to make sure that happens."

Blake softened her look, took a step closer to Yang, and gave her a quick peck on the lips. "So, how did you even get it here to begin with?"

Yang smiled, "Well, that's actually a great story…"

* * *

 **AN: Martuna Major: Hello everyone, I'm currently at work by the time this chapter gets published, but I hope you like it. When writing this chapter, I started with a weird idea, then it ended up snowballing into this. But, what can you say, Crazy shenanigans are what 205 is all about.**

 **With that out of the way, there is some housekeeping we need to address about a couple of things. First, let's give you some more info about our fantastic account we teased last chapter… As well as we could. It was a little rushed, if you couldn't tell.**

 **TheDarkenedRose: Hello everyone! It's been a while since I ever said anything in the ANs of this story, but I'm here to explain our account. As you all know (hopefully) we've been doing things to widen our forms of stupid entertainment (Twitch, YouTube, and Podbean), and… well we want to keep doing these things but better. The name is Legion 205 and all proceeds will go to buying different sorts of equipment (Microphones, Capture Cards, Etc.) to improve the quality of our content. We do Twitch streams almost everyday (Twitch name is Legion205 in case you didn't know) with some of the members of the Legion, and we are making changes to our podcast content but expect some of that once a month. Then we're also beginning our YouTube channel (there's only one video xD ) where we'll post stupid compilations of our streams or Let's Plays so stay tuned for more info on that.**

 **Anyways, even donating a dollar (or more if you wish to do so) will help out a lot and will mean so much to us, so if you wish to help us with creating amazing content, then head on down to our . Once again, search for Legion 205 and you should be able to find us easily. If you want to know more info on our content and , then PM me (FF name is TheDarkenedRose just to remind you) and I'll get back to you as soon as I can.**

 **Martuna: And here comes Noble to talk about what the future will hold! He's like a fortune teller or something.**

 **Noble: Yeah, so a very important thing to take note of. Next week we will not be having a chapter of 205. Please, before you grab your pitchforks and torches, let us explain why. During that time, myself, MartunaMajor, Phoenix Commander, SylverLining, angelsixtwofive, and TheDarkenedRose will all be attending RTX. We are using that as time for us to take a week to relax before getting right back into the thick of things. The week afterwards, we'll have returned from the break to bring you some pretty insane moments.**

 **Martuna: Can't wait for RTX! Gonna be so much fun. I hope you guys enjoyed and make sure to watch when we come back.**

 **Noble: If you are going to be at RTX and want to drop us a hello, that is no problem, just let us know via pm for things like that. Anyway, thanks for reading, and we'll talk to you guys later!**

 **(TumbleZwei)**


	31. A Night Few Remember

Ruby was awoken to the light of the sun piercing through the curtains. Her eyes fluttered open and she started to stir. She stretched her tired body and let out a squeak as a result. Once she relinquished the blanket from on top of her, the chilly morning air rushing to greet her, Ruby stood up from her bed and saw Weiss peacefully asleep. Tiptoeing across the room, walked out to the kitchen quietly so that she didn't disturb her still sleeping roommate.

It was unusually quiet in room 205, normally somebody would be awake by that point. Even though it was a Saturday, there was still tasks that people wished to complete. Yang usually was out of the dorm already, her usual run to the gym being the reason she would get up so early. Ren used this free time to get some school work done before Nora came around and interrupted his progress. Pyrrha would just be getting back from her morning run, before jumping into the shower.

But today, it was as if no one was around. It was the quietest that Ruby remembered it being on a Saturday in a long time. Ruby looked over to the clock on the kitchen stove to see if she slept in, only to see that it was right at the 8:30 mark; the normal time she would wake up on a Saturday. Only Zwei was occupying the common room, his body rising and falling while he dozed on the couch.

Yang and Pyrrha not being around, that wasn't completely strange. Ruby could believe Pyrrha's run going longer than planned. She could also see Yang cramming in more time at the gym if she was pumped up enough. But to not see Ren sitting out on the couch doing his work while he had the chance; that was something that surprised Ruby.

' _Where is everyone?'_ Ruby thought to herself as she looked around the common room.

"Ngh, morning Ruby."

In her contemplative silence, Ruby failed to notice the door to her room open and Weiss walk out. She had a towel and a change of clothes in her hands, evidence that she was ready to hop into the shower.

Ruby could tell that Weiss was tired, though that was probably from having just woken up moments before. ' _She looks like she isn't even awake yet,'_ Ruby thought to herself. ' _Does she even know that she is talking to me right now?'_

"Morning," Ruby replied, her mind still occupied with other thoughts. "I didn't wake you up, did I?"

"It's fine, I needed to get up anyway," Weiss reassured. "Besides, it has been nice that I've been getting a full night's sleep recently."

"Thank god for that," Ruby admitted. She really didn't want to go through the trouble of having to help Weiss sleep once again. It was already bad enough last semester when it was first happening.

Weiss took the opportunity to head towards the showers, but hearing Ruby call out to her stopped the white haired girl in her tracks.

"Do you know if anybody mentioned something about not being here in the morning?" Ruby asked. "I don't know why, but I get the strangest feeling that we are the only two people in the dorm right now."

"I think I remember them going out last night, but I don't know," Weiss groaned, turning to the showers. "Ask me again in about a half hour after my shower."

Letting Weiss walk into the bathroom, Ruby started to grab ingredients together to make herself breakfast. She heard the water start in the shower as she continued to ponder what had happened.

' _I think I remember Pyrrha saying something about a-'_

"AAAAAAAAGGGGHHHHHH!"

Ruby's thoughts were interrupted when she heard a shrill cry come from Weiss in the shower. The moment surprised Ruby so much that she nearly dropped the carton of milk that she had in her hands. Even Zwei woke up from the loud noise, his head perking up in an instant.

"JAUNE WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING IN HERE?! ARE YOU TRYING TO GET EXPELLED?!"

When she heard that, Ruby put down the milk and ran over to the bathroom. ' _what the hell is happening?'_ she thought to herself. Ruby tried to open the door, but it was locked and she couldn't get in. "Weiss, are you ok in there?"

Ruby was greeted to the sight of Weiss all but tearing the door off of its frame. Weiss' hair was wet and she had hastily wrapped herself in a towel that she was holding in place with her hand. No longer was Weiss tired in any way, her previous exhaustion replaced with anger.

"Jaune had better have a damn good excuse or else he'll wish he was expelled." Weiss yelled, clutching the towel tightly to her body to hide her modesty.

"What happened?" Ruby asked, not wanting Weiss to do anything drastic until all the questions swirling in her mind had some answer to them.

"Well," Weiss began with a pout, "I was about to try and take a shower, but when I opened the curtain and turned on the water, Jaune shrieked. I didn't even see his body until he started flailing around, knocking things everywhere and trying to cop a feel!"

"Can you guys not be so loud, please?" Jaune weakly mumbled from inside the bathroom. "I have a headache worse than death and my stomach feels like it wants to recreate the civil war all over again."

"Not until you give me the best reason in the world why you tried, for the second time, so spy on me naked!" Weiss shouted back through the door.

Ruby brushed past her roommate and went into the bathroom to investigate herself. When she saw Jaune, disheveled and wet, she knew immediately what had happened. She had seen enough of this picture with Yang to realize that alcohol had some factor in this. "Are you hungover right now?"

"I wouldn't be surprised," Jaune groaned in response. "And I wasn't trying to be a pervert, I don't even know how I got in here. Where is here anyway?" He looked around curiously at the tiled shower, squinting to see better. He wasn't expecting Ruby to go and turn the water on him, though, but when it did, he didn't fight it.

"Just sit there in the shower for a bit, you should feel better soon," Ruby commented before escorting Weiss back to their room. "Well, looks like Jaune was drinking last night. He probably passed out in the shower when he got back, though how he got back, I don't know."

"I swear, this is not the way I was hoping to go about today," Weiss grumbled.

Ruby rubbed Weiss' arms in a soothing motion. "Weiss, it wasn't something he did intentionally," She said, hoping to relax the white haired girl. "And if I'm gonna be honest, I'm worried about everyone else as well. No one seems to be around and that's concerning me."

Now that started to pique Weiss' curiosity. "Wait, what do you mean by that?" She asked.

"I mean, I was expecting Ren to be sitting out on the couch doing his homework before Nora woke up," Ruby said as she walked over to her bed. "I was expecting Pyrrha to just be returning from her usual morning run. But everyone isn't here, and seeing that Jaune got trashed last night and ended up in the shower is cause for concern."

"Well, what are you going to do about it?" Weiss asked. "Are you going to go out and search for everyone?"

"First thing I'm gonna do is call Yang," Ruby said as she walked over to her desk and grabbed her phone. "Hopefully I can get in touch with either her or Blake, if they're together. Once that's done, I'll talk with Jaune, so long as he's feeling better. Why don't you go to the other bathroom and shower there?"

"Fine," Weiss conceded. She still wanted to get her shower out of the way. Now she was planning on taking a very long time with that shower to clear her mind and anger. "Let me know what you find." Weiss walked out the door, her towel still covering her body.

Ruby looked through her contacts, searching for one name in particular. Once she found that name, she dialed it up and brought her phone up to her ear.

One ring

Two rings

Three rings

Four ri-

"Hello, Ruby."

Ruby was surprised to hear Blake answer Yang's phone, but it was probably better that way. "Blake, oh my god where are you and Yang?" Ruby questioned, pacing around her room as the conversation went on.

"Don't worry about us, we're in the city at a hotel room," Blake replied. "Yang got pretty drunk last night, and that was before she decided to...how should I put this... take a hit of grass. Once I smelled it on her, I brought her to this hotel room so that nothing bad would happen to either of us."

Ruby let out a sigh of relief as she heard that. "Ok, that's good," She sighed. "I was worried for a bit because the only one's in the dorm right now are myself, Weiss, and Jaune."

"Wait, so Nora, Ren, and Pyrrha didn't make it back?" Blake asked, renewing a sense of urgency in Ruby. "They were all out with us last night."

"You mean they're not with you right now?!" Ruby shouted. "They're still out missing?!"

"Ruby, take a deep breath," Blake said. "Panicking won't help matters right now."

Ruby realized what Blake meant by that and so she stopped her pacing for a moment to take a few deep breaths. "Ok, Blake, you should bring Yang back to the dorms. I'll go ask Jaune what he knows and hopefully find something that can help us."

"I'll try to wake Yang up, but you shouldn't wait up for us," Blake replied. "She might take a while if the amount of alcohol and...other stuff has anything to say about it."

"Just...try to get here as soon as you can, alright?" Ruby suggested. "I'll go talk to Jaune."

"I'll text you when we're on our way over to the dorms," Blake agreed, ending the call so that Ruby could continue to search for answers.

The first thing Ruby did was walk over to the shower and check on Jaune. She could only imagine what he went through to get to the dorms. Ruby heard the distinct sound of both showers running, a good sign that Weiss was feeling better.

She knocked on the door and waited patiently, not wanting to run into the bathroom and find Jaune in all his glory. Hearing no response, Ruby carefully opened the door and looked inside to find that Jaune was starting to stand up, though almost lost balance a few times.

"Ugh, this sucks," Jaune groaned. "Please tell me that no one else is going to see me like this."

"You, me, and Weiss are the only ones here right now," Ruby said. "I was hoping you could tell me where the others might be. Maybe even mention how you got back home alone."

"If you give me a few minutes to dry off and get some clean clothes on, I'll try to tell you what I can,"Jaune groaned from the other side of the door. "Can you grab a towel for me from my room?"

"Is it unlocked?" Ruby asked in response.

"I room with Ren," Jaune insinuated. "If the room wasn't unlocked, Nora would just find a way to break it down."

Ruby was about to respond to that, but then she thought about it and realized that Jaune was right. "Good point," she mumbled. "Anywhere in particular you want me to look?"

Ruby heard Jaune groan before his response. "It should be in the closet on the left after you head inside."

With that information, Ruby set out towards Jaune's room. Along the way, she heard vibrations coming from the table. She quickly glanced towards the sudden noise and saw Jaune's phone indicating that he was receiving a call.

She took a quick detour towards the phone and looked to see who it was that had called. Glancing down at the screen, she took note of Velvet's name popping up. Ruby figured that she would answer and let Velvet know that Jaune was busy.

"Jaune Arc's phone, this is Ruby Rose speaking," Ruby said.

"Oh, hey Ruby," Velvet replied, surprised that someone else picked up. "Do you know if Jaune's alright? I was worried about him after I had to help him back to the dorms last night, and wanted to make sure everything was ok"

"Wait, really?" Ruby asked. "Well, he's fine, though can you stop by and try to help me piece together where everyone is? Nora, Ren, and Pyrrha are still missing, and if there's anything you know then that would be great."

"I don't know how much I can help, I'll head there now," Velvet said.

Ruby hung up and put the phone back where she found it, rushed back to Jaune's room, found a towel, and went back to the hungover mess in the shower. Ruby handed over the towel and, hearing a groan of a thank you, left the bathroom. She sat on the couch, continuously trying to call the three other unaccounted for dorm mates as she was impatiently waiting for someone to give her answers for the well being of her friends.

Jaune eventually made his way back to his room, his clothes still dripping wet and clinging to him, and tried his best to change into something a lot more comfortable. Weiss was the next face Ruby saw, coming out of the other bathroom and sitting with her roommate, getting the details Ruby had obtained so far.

Velvet was next, knocking on the door to announce her arrival. Ruby opened up the door and ushered Velvet inside, wanting to know what her involvement in all this was.

"Alright Velvet, please shed some light on this craziness." Ruby pleaded after they were all situated.

"Well," Velvet began, "I don't really know how everything started, I just know that at around 11 o'clock, I got a call from Jaune. When I answered, there was crazy loud music and a bunch of laughing and screaming. I didn't know what was going on or why I got a call."

"That was Pyrrha."

All three turned to see Jaune stumbling into the room, freshly changed, though still looking like hell. "Sorry to interrupt, I just wanted to say sorry for throwing up in the shower, I'll clean it up."

"OH MY GOD, JAUNE!" Weiss screeched, looking back at the bathroom and bringing a hand to her mouth to suppress a gag.

Ruby tried her best to calm Weiss down. "Weiss, he just said he would clean it, no need to worry." They turned back to Jaune only to see him curled up on the floor, his hands covering his ears and his eyes shut.

After a few moments, he let go of one ear and squinted open his eyes. "Is she done?"

"Yes, Jaune," Ruby said, "now come over here and tell me what happened last night."

Jaune slowly rose and made his way to the loveseat, sitting next to Velvet, his tired body leaning up against her for support. "The phone call to Velvet was a bet from Pyrrha that I wouldn't call her and confess my undying love for her."

Velvet gave a small smile, "I'm flattered, Jaune, but I have a boyfriend already."

Jaune slowly shifted his weight off Velvet and onto the other side of the seat. "I knew that."

"Whatever," Weiss said annoyed, "just tell us what happened."

Jaune sighed, attempting to think clearly through the pain of his hangover, and started his version of the story. "Alright, so, do you remember the party that we were all invited to last week?"

Ruby nodded her head, "Oh yeah, I think it was one of Pyrrha's soccer friends who extended the invite to all of us."

"The more the merrier," Jaune said, "though you guys are lucky you missed it. It was crazy."

* * *

8:00 PM

We were stood outside the rather large house, far larger than most of the houses we had passed on the walk up here, though I guess for the party's size, they needed every inch.

In the dark, with the only notable light coming from inside the house, the color looked blue, though with my fuzzy memory, anything could be possible. I could hear music coming from inside, and flashes of bright light cutting through the window. The night was just beginning, but I had a bad feeling in my gut from the moment all six of us walked up to the door.

I was actually surprised by how many people were already in attendance, though I've never been to a party before. I figured this was just how the nightlife was in the college town of Patch

* * *

"Jaune" Weiss interrupted the story.

"Yes, Weiss?" Jaune asked, whisked away from his imagination

"Get to the point already" Weiss said, irritated.

"Oh, right." Jaune said, going back into the story.

* * *

Well, we all went in, were overwhelmed by the atmosphere of the party, got a couple of drinks in our hands, and started mingling. I never strayed far from anyone I knew, but I made sure to bounce between them. Make me feel more popular.

Nora went off immediately and I only saw her around the house every once in awhile, but always spotted Ren nearby, so I figured they were having a good time. Blake never let Yang more than five feet away with alcohol in her hand, I'm sure she didn't want a repeat of last semester with some other individual. And Pyrrha had her soccer friends around her pretty much the entire night, so I ended up being the odd wheel.

Eventually, as the night dragged on and more alcohol entered our systems, people became more… friendly, and I'm sure if I were better at hitting on woman, I could've gotten somewhere. Pyrrha came up to me at some point in the night, I guess a sober part of her was still functioning and making sure I was ok before joining back up with Nora and Ren.

I ended up moving to the back of the house, a little quieter, if a little more frisky, if you know what I mean, and found Yang sitting with a few muscle heads I didn't know, but I'm sure they were buddies from the gym or something. I saw her smoking what I believe was marijuana, but I didn't want to get involved, and didn't want to ask.

Now, this is the part where it gets a little blurry for me, seeing as I may have had more alcohol than I could handle. I made my way back up front, passed by Ren standing outside a door, but didn't want to know, and ran into Pyrrha again. Though by that I mean she spotted me, grabbed my arm, and dragged me over to the kitchen where she dared me to prank call someone.

* * *

"I guess that's where I come in?" Velvet asked.

"Just about," Jaune said, pulling out his phone and looking through his call history. "I made five calls last night, all of which between ten thirty and eleven, though only you answered, so I guess that's a positive."

Ruby looked at Jaune curiously, "Who else did you try to call?"

"I wish I knew," Jaune admitted, "the other four numbers aren't in my contact list, and since they never answered, I guess we may never know."

"Bummer," Ruby said, "but go on with your story."

"Well, for my part, there's not much left. I called Velvet, she answered, I said something along the lines of 'I'd love to see you at home tonight,' then went out into the street and tried to walk back to the dorm."

"Wait, that's what you were trying to say?" Velvet asked. "All I heard was a bunch of incoherent mumbling. I asked if you were ok, and you said, what I heard as, 'only if the shoe fits'. I figured I should try to help out, asked where you were, and you gave surprisingly good directions. After I dragged you back here, I fished in your pockets for the key, didn't know which room was yours, so I left you in the shower."

"Oh, well thanks for that rude awakening this morning." Weiss said.

"Whoa, hang on a second, I think I remember something else." Jaune said, keeping any profusely apologetic retorts from escaping Velvet.

"What is it, something about where anyone else is?" Ruby asked, excited about another potential lead.

"No, but… I think Nora is pregnant?" Jaune said hesitantly, trying to confirm his foggy memory.

"WHAT!?" screamed the girls, each looking at each other in complete bewilderment.

Turning back to Jaune, they saw the seat he was previously occupying empty. He had fallen to the floor again, his hands covering his ears in an attempt to block the painful sounds. "Why does everything have to hurt?" Jaune whimpered.

Knocking at the main door broke the atmosphere of the room, Ruby immediately rose and rushed towards the door, hoping for some answers.

Opening the door, Ren was waiting outside with an unconscious Nora carried on his back. He nodded his thanks before making his way into the dorm, moving to his own room, and kindly asked Jaune to open it for him. After that, he deposited the unconscious girl onto his bed, quickly grabbed something before he came back out, and closed the door.

Ren gave a small sigh before turning to the other four occupants in the room, squeezing a stress ball repeatedly in his hand. "Hello, how is your morning going?" He said in a rather chipper tone.

"Umm, just fine, how about yours?" Jaune asked.

"A fucking nightmare." Ren said, deadpanned, making his way to the other side of the couch and crashing down next to Weiss. He leaned his head back, his body almost draping gracelessly over the couch. His unoccupied fist was clenched tightly to the fabric, almost tearing into it. The other still giving the stress ball a deathly massage

"Umm, Ren, are you ok?" Weiss asked, never before seeing the gentle man like this before.

"No." Ren responded, not moving, or even opening his eyes to respond to the person.

"What happened to you last night? Ruby asked, trying to get a clear answer from him.

"Hell." Ren said, dashing Ruby's hopes.

"Well, care to elaborate?" Jaune asked, not wanting Ren to be pushed past his yet unseen breaking point.

"Sure, why not." Ren said, repositioning himself on the couch to better tell his part of the story. He leaned forward and put his elbows on his knees to support himself.

* * *

Well, I'm assuming Jaune told you his part of the story, so I'll skip ahead a little. Right after we got into the party and each got ourselves something to drink, Nora immediately went exploring. Now, with the amount of people already there, quite a few got drunk early. So, looking in the wrong place, Nora evidently stumbled in on a few people who were hoping for privacy.

Luckily, at the start of the night, Nora wasn't drunk enough to try to start an orgy, though I'm sure she would've found a way if she was determined enough. I did my best to keep up with her, and I try not to interfere unless something can go wrong, but my god did I have to step in too many times.

For starters, I caught someone trying to roofie Nora's third drink. After the fifth, I had to drag her away from three guys she was getting flirty with. And after the seventh, she slipped my gaze for one minute, found a nice girl, and made her way into a room for an hour. That's when you passed me, Jaune.

Now I know she's a free spirit, and I know I'm not 'officially' her boyfriend, but I do want to make sure she's making the right choices, and I do have a limit to what I'll allow.

That being said, after she emerged from her room, triumphant and satisfied, I tried to steer her away from the party, though Nora tried to hook me up with every living female that was at the party. In fact, she tried to introduce me to someone who was passed out drunk. After she didn't respond, Nora called her a rude bitch and tried to fight her. I had to drag her away kicking and screaming.

After that, I brought her outside and we went for a walk. She managed to grab another drink while she was in my grasp, but I wasn't about to cut her off. The last person who tried after that many drinks ended up with a knife to their dick and she threatened to cut him off.

Then, Nora dragged me around town, hoping to find something to do with the night still young. We made our way to a florist who was closed, but Nora still wanted to buy me a beautiful bouquet. After keeping her from smashing the window, she led me to a fast food restaurant, though since it was still late at night, they were closed as well.

Twenty six different establishments later, Nora had procured a balloon that she stole from a car dealership having a sale, a stuffed animal that she argued wasn't a bear, but a sloth, and the owner gave it to her to get her to shut up, and a box of tissues that, honestly, I have no clue where it came from.

After that, she ran into a shady bar, tried to bet that she could beat everyone at pool, and lost all of her 'prized possessions', so she called them. She downed a pint of cheap beer before leaving, and passed out on a bus bench five feet away, claiming she was queen of the castle.

I have no time frame of when all of this happened, because my phone died somewhere in the middle of the night, and Nora, thankfully, forgot her phone here. So I scooped Nora up and tried to find my way back here, taking a whole lot longer than I expected.

* * *

The silence that filled the room was weird and awkward, no one knowing what to say to Ren who was clearly at his limits.

"I have no clue where anyone else is, so don't even ask" Ren finished, sinking back into the couch, closing his eyes and kneading the stress ball subconsciously.

"I wasn't going to," Ruby said, moving to the other side of the couch to try to console him, "You did the right thing. Do you need anything? Water, food, a shower?"

Ren's answer was cut off by Ruby's cellphone ringing. Reaching into her pocket and pulling out her phone, she saw that it was Blake on the line, and answered immediately

"Hey, Blake. What's going on?" Ruby asked, concern on the edge of her voice.

"Well, Yang's awake," Blake responded. "Nothing that a healthy dose of ice water couldn't fix."

"I hate you!" Ruby heard Yang groan loudly in the background, causing her to chuckle.

"You and I both know that's not true," Blake cooed back to her girlfriend before returning her attention to the phone. "Your sister can't get enough of me."

"Yeah, well that's always the easy part for her." Ruby said with worry.

Blake chuckled, "I can see. Anyway, any news on our other missing roommates?"

"Yup, Ren brought Nora unconscious on his back. Quite romantic, if you ask me, though it looks like Ren is at his limits for the day. He has a stress ball and everything." Ruby said, careful not to talk loud enough for Ren to hear her.

"Oh, really? That's unusual for him. But I'm glad they're back and safe. We'll be on our way shortly," Blake said.

"Is Yang ok to drive?" Ruby asked, not wanting Yang to crash her own car into anything, especially if it was her fault.

Blake sighed, "Well, short answer, no. I'm either going to have to try to convince her to let me drive her car, or wait for her head to clear enough for her to drive safely."

As if to answer the question Yang hadn't been asked yet, Ruby heard her groan again into the speaker. "Blake, I'm not letting you drive Bumblebee unless you rip the keys from my cold dead hands!" She tried to sound intimidating, though since she was still slurring her words, it failed completely.

"Well, you're almost there, so unless you want me to wrestle them out of your warm and sweaty hand, then you'd better hand them over." Blake said.

"Nevah!" Yang proclaimed, followed by something very large dropping to the ground.

Blake burst into laughter as she witnessed what happened. In between bouts of laughter, she explained what she saw. "Yang popped up in a look of defiance, lifting her arms above her hand until she fell backwards to the ground." Blake continued to laugh for a few moments. "We'll be back as soon as we can, so no worries about us."

"Alright, see you when you get back," and with that, Ruby ended the call. ' _Now where in the world is Pyrrha?'_

* * *

 **AN: Noble: Well, this turned out to be much more ridiculous than originally anticipated.**

 **Martuna: The flashback portions were gonna be written differently, and even the ending I originally wrote out was… a little drastic**

 **Noble: Drastic is one way to put it.**

 **In any case, we had a lot happen since the last chapter. For one, RTX happened, and we were there!**

 **Martuna: It was one of the best experiences I have ever had, and now I'm broke. Totally worth the drive to meet a whole lot of different people!**

 **Noble: I think we all are, and yes, it totally was. But one other thing happened while we were down there!**

 **We have a new member of the Legion!**

 **Angel/Peace: *Drum roll in background***

 **Noble: Let's welcome TotoTail to the Legion!**

 **Toto: *whale noises* I'm here, bitches!**

 **Peace: *Dramatic Noises***

 **Angel: I like her!**

 **Noble: Shut up, Angel *smacks Angel into unconsciousness*.**

 **Toto: Yeah, shut up, Angel! *kicks for good measure***

 **Martuna: *looks awkwardly from Toto to Angel* Note to self, don't get on her bad side.**

 **Noble: Well, that was a way to introduce you to the Legion. I hope you have a good time hanging with us. That contract you were given signed your soul away, just so you know, we still need you to submit a vial of blood in order for the ritual to be completed.**

 **Toto: what the hell have I gotten into?**

 **Noble: Awesomeness, pure awesomeness.**

 **Anyway, thanks for tuning in this week! Once again, glad to have you in the Legion Toto, it's gonna be great to work with you (go check out her works!), and we can't wait to see you next week!**

 **(TumbleZwei)**


	32. The Search for Pyrrha

**Shadow: Hey, everyone, so we thought about helping out a few people here with a signal boost. If you haven't heard about it, there is a new series being kickstarted called, Paradigm Spiral - The Animated Series. If you guys wanna support this new series, head on over to kickstarter and search up the name of the series. They're aiming for 50k, so any amount will help.**

* * *

 _ **Residence of the School Headmaster**_

"I don't see why we should be lenient with this matter," Ms. Goodwitch ranted, pacing through the office of the school's headmaster. "For starters, the boy was clearly drunk, and given that he is underage, that should be grounds for punishment alone."

"Glynda," Ozpin replied. "If I were to be honest, I believe you might be taking it out of hand."

"How so?" Goodwitch countered, her pacing coming to a halt.

"Well, you do realize that about 90 percent of the school's population drinks in some capacity, give or take 15 percent," Ozpin rebuked. "And on top of that, I'm assuming the only reason that you are upset over this is because he called and left a rather ludicrous voice mail on your phone last night."

"You received a similar message as well, remember?" Glynda mentioned. "Besides, due to some, unfortunate, circumstances, Mr. Arc is currently residing with multiple female residents, alongside Mr. Lie Ren. Imagine if he had done something to one of them in his drunken state."

"Fortunately, nothing appears to have happened," Ozpin countered. "If something did occur, you and I both know that we would've heard about it by now."

"Still, I don't like the idea of male and female students dorming together," Goodwitch grumbled. "It's bad enough we have that happen out in the town's apartments, we don't need to deal with this here."

Ozpin gave what Glynda said some thought, before realizing that an opportunity was available to them. "Well, why don't we try to change that notion all together?"

* * *

"Hello, you've reached the voicemail box of Pyrrha Nikos, I'm sorry for not being available to-"

"Darn it!" Ruby groaned as she hung up her phone once again, still unable to reach Pyrrha through her dozens of attempts.

"Still stuck with voicemail?" Velvet asked.

"Yeah, I'm really starting to freak out now," Ruby said as she started to pace around the common room. "What if something happened to her while she was out. She could've gotten robbed, or stabbed, or she could've been kidnapped by international thugs and is now a part of their human trafficking ring!"

"Did you watch Taken last night or something?" Jaune asked, laying down on the couch with a bag of ice pressed against his head to help soothe his hangover. "That last point seemed oddly specific."

"Shut up, Jaune," Ruby called back. "You're not helping!"

"Ruby, calm down," Weiss said, standing up and walking over to Ruby. She grabbed a hold of her shoulders and stopped the red clad girl from continuing to pace back and forth. "Give it a bit of time, she's bound to turn up soon."

Before anyone could utter any other words, The door to Ren and Jaune's room opened up. Out came the disheveled appearance of one Nora Valkyrie. She looked like she was ready to stab someone, the hangover she was feeling having a profound effect on her. Ren just sat on the couch, letting her go about her business as she walked towards the kitchen and grabbed herself a bottle of water.

"Ugh, how bad is your hangover, Nora?" Jaune asked from the couch.

Nora didn't even turn towards him. As she returned to her own room, she held out her middle finger to Jaune all the way until she walked through the door. "Sit on it and spin you fucker," Nora grumbled just before walking through the threshold that led to her own room.

"And I thought Pyrrha was bad when she's tired," Ruby commented.

"Trust me," Ren interrupted. "You are just witnessing an extremely hung over Nora for the first time, that was tame compared to some other experiences. And no, I'm not going to elaborate on that."

No one went to argue with Ren as silence returned to the common room. Ruby returned to her pacing as she noticed her phone vibrate, a text message coming up on her phone.

"Yang and I are making our way back to the dorms now, we should be there in about 30, depending on how cooperative your sister is."

While Ruby was hoping that it was Pyrrha, she took some relief in knowing that Blake and Yang were on their way back, one less thing to worry about. ' _God this is going to drive me insane, I just know it!_ ' She thought to herself.

* * *

"Yang," Blake called, stumbling a bit from the extra weight. "Use your feet, don't make me carry you."

"Fine, fine," Yang almost slurred. "Just stop yelling," after composing herself, she attempted to walk properly, but still needed Blake's shoulders as support.

"I'm not yelling," Blake murmured. "God… you got so fucked up."

It took a while, but they finally stumbled through town to get back to the dorms. Knowing Ruby was worried, Blake wanted to pick up the pace, but Yang made that almost impossible with her wobbly feet.

"I wanna _cat_ nap," Yang gazed up at Blake, looking for approval for the pun.

But Blake just slightly scoffed, earning a pout from her girlfriend.

"Almost there…" Blake mumbled mostly to herself.

They had arrived at the front of their dorm. Blake made sure to help hold her girlfriend upright when they trudged up the stairs. She knew what Yang needed right now was what she said. Some good old fashioned sleep, and she was determined to give her just that.

After Blake gave her a wave, the receptionist at the front of the building looked mortified, but returned the gesture.

All the while, Blake kept muttering under her breath about how she wouldn't get wrapped up in something like this ever.

The two made it in the elevator. Even though they were on the second floor, Blake didn't want to make her girlfriend trudge up a few flights of stairs.

 _Yes, we are going to be those assholes,_ Blake irritably thought to herself.

Before the elevator doors could close, a random student frantically jumped in on time. She moved to press the button for her floor, only to see the 'second' floor button was light up.

The stranger turned to the duo. "Really?"

Blake whipped her head from the clearly distressed Yang and then to the student. "Yes, really."

The female let out a sigh, seemingly in understanding. "My bad, I get it. You party too hard?"

"I had fun, but she had a little _too_ much fun," Blake mumbled.

"Ughhhhhhh," Yang could only groan. "Kitty, are we there yet?"

"Almost," after adjusting Yang around her shoulders, the elevator dinged and opened.

Blake hobbled out of the elevator with Yang in tow, not missing the stranger's call.

"Make sure she gets lots of sleep!"

"Don't worry about her," Blake stated and then it turned to a mutter. "You kinda deserve it. You know that, right?"

Thankfully, it didn't take long for them to arrive at the familiar door.

"Rarrrr," Yang drawled. "Kitty's got claws."

After a sigh, Blake turned the knob and was pleasantly surprised that it was unlocked. With their new arrival, gasps sounded from the people in the room.

Ruby didn't waste a second and bolted up to the pair, taking Yang's extra weight to help Blake.

"Yang!" Ruby almost chided. "Where the hell were you guys!? You had us worried sick!"

Yang clutched her ears to drown her sister out. "Ruby… be quiet and let me die in a corner."

"I'll fill you in once she gets a place to sleep," Blake was in no mood to take anyone's crap.

Wanting to help, Weiss sauntered over to the couch Jaune was sprawled out on. Without warning, she grabbed his hoodie and yanked it over his head, causing the ice pack to fall off and onto the floor.

"Agh! What the-"

"Get off," Weiss deadpanned in a tone no one could mess with.

"No way," Jaune groaned, his hand on his forehead. He still had a raging migraine. "Go away."

Everyone could only watch as they swore fumes started to seep from Weiss' head.

"You leave me no choice," she grabbed the clothing on his torso and yanked his whole body off the couch.

The impact made a loud thud and Jaune groaned again. "Why me?"

Blake and Ruby took that as their cue to coax Yang over to the couch and gingerly laid her down. Instantly, Yang nuzzled against the pillow with her eyes shut.

"So warm…"

"Only because I was using it!" Jaune whined.

Weiss stared at the now comfortable Yang and her friends. "Get over it."

* * *

After everything settled down, they started to get ready to find Pyrrha. It would be a combined effort with their search party gathered.

Ruby, Weiss, Velvet, and Blake would for sure go out and look for the missing Pyrrha, but Ruby wasn't positive if Ren would be up for it, considering the horrible night he just endured.

It was easy to gather everyone in the common area. The two people who had it worse hangover wise, Yang and Nora, eventually got their own rooms and rested in their own beds to sleep it off.

Jaune managed to get his beloved couch back, despite Weiss' initial irritability. She supposed it was better Yang got the bed, anyways.

"Ren," Ruby started. "Did you want to join us for the search party?"

Her friends were gathered around and about to leave, so Ruby was curious if the boy was going.

"Yeah," Ren answered, his tone solemn. "I had a really bad night last night, but I won't, in good conscience, stand by if Pyrrha is still out there wandering around."

Ruby nodded and completely understood. "Okay! So we have Weiss, Velvet, Blake, Ren, and me."

"'I,'" Weiss corrected.

Ruby playfully rolled her eyes from the comment and pumped her fist in the air. "Let's head out!"

Collective groans sounded from the group. They just wanted to find the troublesome Pyrrha, but weren't too eager to go through the work to do it.

Ruby opened the door so they could leave the building and start the search, but she saw the familiar mane of red-hair across the hallway. She didn't even look to be wearing her own clothes.

"Pyrrha!?"

Pyrrha was surprised to see so many people in their room, but didn't want to question it. Right now, she had a raging headache and needed to get away from… people. From everything, really.

"Ruby," Pyrrha said a bit weakly. "I'm sorry, but I'm not in the mood right now. I _need_ to lie down."

With that, Pyrrha pushed her way passed the dorm entrance, dragging her feet across the floor until she opened the door to her room and closed it.

"If you couldn't tell, she has one hell of a hangover."

Everyone turned to see Reese standing in the doorway to their dorm room. "What do you mean? Do you know where she was all night?"

"Don't worry, Pyrrha was stuck with me all night," Reese reassured. "I let her borrow a shirt and some sweatpants so she didn't have to go through the full walk-of-shame. Other than that, nothing bad happened to her. If something did, there would be bodies littering the streets."

"Well that's reassuring," Jaune groaned from the couch.

"Still, let her get some rest, she has a pretty nasty hangover right now and it'd be best for her to sleep it off," Reese confirmed. "I gotta get going now, you guys enjoy the rest of your day." Reese turned around and walked down the hallway, shutting the door to their dorm room behind her.

"Well, since everyone is back and in good health, I think it's time for me to take my leave as well," Velvet said as she too stood up and left. "You guys sound like you all need some rest."

Unfortunately, before she could leave, there was a knock on their front door.

"Who could that be?" Ruby asked as she walked over to the door. Once she opened it up, she saw both the School's Headmaster, and the Head of Housing standing before her.

"Ms. Rose," Headmaster Ozpin said to the young girl. "Do you mind if we come in, we have something that we wish to talk with you all about."

* * *

Pyrrha walked back into her room, not a care In the world for the looks she was getting from everyone in the common room. She had a nasty hangover, was in desperate need of a shower, and her body seemed to hate her more than usual. ' _I really shouldn't have drank that much. And why does my ass cheek hurt so badly?_ '

Once she closed the door behind her, Pyrrha heard a rumbling from the other bed. She turned and saw the disheveled look that Nora had, the ginger recently waking from the looks of it. "I take it your night went well?" Pyrrha groaned.

"I think I did it again, didn't I?" Nora asked.

"Last I remember seeing you was the moment you were walking into a bedroom with another girl from the party," Pyrrha mentioned. She started to pull the borrowed shirt off of her and threw it onto the bed. "Don't quote me on that, though."

"Well, she certainly didn't perform up to snuff," Nora complained, looking over at Pyrrha from her bed just as the redhead pulled the pair of sweatpants she borrowed from Reese off her legs. "I guess you're in a don't-care-if-I-see-you mood today. Hangover that bad right now?"

Pyrrha turned her head around and gave Nora a glare. It would've been more effective if the two of them weren't hungover. "I guess you could say that," Pyrrha eventually said before forming back towards her bed. She finally pulled her underwear off and threw them into the laundry hamper.

"Holy Fuck, that's something I didn't expect from you," Nora said, though Pyrrha had no idea what she was referring to.

"Nora, it's not like I'm not allowed to get changed completely while you are still around," Pyrrha groaned. She didn't expect Nora to pop up next to her and grab a hold of her arms.

"That's not what I mean," Nora said. Pyrrha clearly got a good look at Nora's expression, a mix of shock, amusement, and what Pyrrha assumed was pride residing there. "I'm talking about the tattoo you got on your butt."

' _What the Fuck did she just say?'_ Pyrrha thought to herself as she tried to look behind her. She needed to see what Nora was referring to exactly. "I don't see anything there." Pyrrha said, wondering if Nora was actually telling the truth or not.

"Hold on," Nora commanded as she walked behind Pyrrha and grabbed her phone from her desk. She aimed the camera at Pyrrha's butt and snapped a photo. "Here, that should clear things up for you."

Pyrrha looked at the screen of Nora's phone and finally saw what it was that she was referring to. There it was, as plain as day, a tattoo of what Pyrrha could only assume was a spear and shield drawn together, appearing right on the middle of her right butt cheek.

Pyrrha nearly fell over in shock. It was one thing for Nora to say that it was there, but it was different to see it for herself. "Oh dear god, this is insane," she said, any trace of her hangover gone after receiving the news.

"You know, I think it looks good on you," Nora commented.

"What?"

"I said I think it looks good on you," Nora repeated. "Not only that, but it's on a place that nobody can really see unless they either walk in on you, or are people you are about to do it with."

Immediately upon hearing Nora saying that last point, Pyrrha's mind was flooded with images of very specific people. She shook the thoughts from her head Immediately, but was unable to hide the massive blush that had spread across her face.

"You're just saying that to make me feel better about this whole thing," Pyrrha said.

Nora gave Pyrrha a glare unlike any she had given before. "Really Pyrrha, we've known each other for how long now? Do I really look like the kind of person who would say something like that?"

Pyrrha had to admit that Nora was right, she was a very blunt and unfiltered person. "Well, you did keep us kissing that one time a secret before I mentioned it to our friends. Would it be too much trouble to ask if you could keep this tattoo a secret as well?"

"Sure, I can do that," Nora agreed. "I know how big of a deal it is when you ask me to keep things secret."

"Thanks," Pyrrha finally returned to dressing herself in her own clothes, electing to wear a pair of her own sweatpants to help the tattoo heal. She noticed in her bag that the parlor that gave her the tattoo to begin with had sent her home with a copy of the tasks she would need to help maintain the tattoo, and after asking for help with it from Nora, was able to comfortably say she was going to do well with it.

After that though, the two women heard a knock at their door. "Yeah?" Nora shouted.

"Ms. Goodwitch and the school's headmaster are here to speak with us about something," the ladies heard Ruby from the outside of the door. "You need to come out here and join us."

"I wonder what this is all about," Pyrrha wondered out loud.

After trying to wrap her mind around the situation, Pyrrha joined her friends and the teachers.

"I can tell you guys had a little too much fun last night, so we'll make this brief," Goodwitch said. "We have been given the chance to participate in a social experiment."

"What kind of social experiment?" Ruby asked, curiosity getting the best of her.

Every student looked around the room confused, so Ozpin filled them in. "Since you're living in a co-ed dorm, you qualify for the experiment. I would like to use this opportunity to prove that co-sex habitation is possible."

"Is there anything we get from it?" Blake asked. "Normally, experiments give out rewards and I wouldn't want to be a guinea pig to something that won't benefit us."

She could practically hear Yang's cat puns now… she wasn't a guinea pig…

"You are correct, Ms. Belladonna," Ozpin informed levelly. "If you accept, all of you get free room and board if you agree to stay together in the same dorm for the rest of your time here."

Suddenly, a hand shot up from the couch. "I'm in."

"Jaune?" Velvet asked. "That was quick."

"Do I need to repeat myself?" he questioned. "It's _free_ room and board, plus I have seven sisters. I'm used to living with girls already. I'm so in."

"I guess he's right," Velvet admitted. "That'd be nice."

"I'm in as well," Nora groaned before pointing to Ren. "So is this guy."

In response, Ren only shrugged. He wasn't about to question having free room and board for participating in a social experiment.

"Yeah, I think Yang and I are willing to participate as well," Ruby mentioned. "Right, sis?" The only response that Yang gave her was a weakly raised thumbs up.

"Might as well," Blake mentioned. "It's not like we haven't been living with each other for months already. I don't see why I shouldn't."

"So that leaves only Weiss and Pyrrha," Ruby mentioned.

"It won't matter for me since I have a full athletics scholarship," Pyrrha said. "But I don't see any problems with that. I'll join."

Everyone turned towards Weiss, who stood off on the far side of the room. "Oh fine, I'll join you guys," She finally said after a few seconds.

"Very well then," Ozpin said as he turned towards the door with Goodwitch. "Before I leave however. Mr. Arc, in the future, please be aware of who it is you attempt to call in your inebriated state. Some people may not be as forgiving as Ms. Goodwitch or myself. Have a good day."

After Ozpin had shut the door, everyone turned to Jaune, who looked like he was about to throw up once more.

"Oh, why me…"

* * *

 **Noble: And people wonder if we hate Jaune...Toto, you're not helping our case.**

 **Toto: lol so sorry guys. Jaune tends to get bullied whenever I'm writing him. First attempt at this story, though! Was it okay?**

 **Noble: I'd say you did well with this. Only one way to find out though.**

 **Toto: *gasp* how?**

 **Noble: By leaving reviews? I don't know what you want me to say.**

 **Btw, Angel is still unconscious in the last chapter.**

 **Toto: *kicks him again* you know we love you ;D**

 **Noble: What the actual shit?! Don't give him brain damage!**

 **Toto: Wasn't Angel already messed up to the point of no return before this happened?**

 **Noble: That's not the point though, we don't want to make it any worse than it already is...Anyway, I'm ending this.**

 **Quick note! If you check out our twitter page, you'll notice we've put up something to indicate a little thing that is going to be happening tomorrow for our stream. Check it out to get a quick preview of what I will be streaming.**

 **Thank you all for tuning in this week. Let us know what you guys thought of this chapter, and we'll be back next week for more!**

 **(TumbleZwei)**


	33. A Knight in Not-so-shiny Armor

**MartunaMajor: Hello everyone, I'm sorry to cut into the beginning of the chapter, but there is something I need to address before we start. This chapter is very heavy, dealing with mature themes such as abusive relationships, and attempted rape. Please continue at your own risk. I feel it is necessary to put this here because of how dark I ended up writing this chapter. I will specify why in the AN, so, without further ado, I hope you enjoy.**

* * *

"Textbook? Check. Binder? Check. Blank paper? Check. The right state of mind? Well…"

Jaune looked over his belongings, deciding on whether he had everything he needed for his study session with Velvet. Who knew philosophy would be such a study intensive subject.

"I guess I got everything I can, best to not keep her waiting." Jaune stacked his belongings into his backpack, zipped it up, and slung it onto his back. He then grabbed his key, cell phone, and wallet, stuffed them into his jean pockets, looked in the mirror to adjust his blue, gold, and white striped polo shirt and hair, and stepped out into the dorm room.

He gave a quick salutations to Nora and Ruby who were sitting on the couch playing video games, and made his way out the door. As he hopped down the stairs, he gave a smile and wave to Reese at the front desk of the dormitory, and opened the door to the bright world beyond.

Jaune took a step out, looking out at the campus around him. He breathed in a deep breath, and got knocked off his feet. He landed on the concrete, shifted himself around, and looked behind him.

Cardin Winchester stood above him, a weird smile on his face, before continuing on. Jaune watched him go, and heard rushed footsteps approach him.

"Jaune, are you ok?" Reese knelt down and helped him up to his feet.

Jaune brushed himself off, looked over himself and, realizing he had no external injuries, nodded to Reese. "Yeah, I'm fine. Don't know what that's about, though."

Reese looked back at Cardin, "I'm sure he has his stupid, convoluted reasons to be an asshat, though it doesn't make them right. For now, I guess, just watch your back."

Jaune wasn't really comforted by those words, but he didn't have any better option. So, with a newfound dread around every corner for Cardin and, he hoped not, his friends, Jaune made his way to the library.

* * *

Jaune looked around the library, the four floors it had making it a maze for any who were unfamiliar with it, and that didn't include the basement, which housed extra classrooms and storage. Jaune did a full 360, staring up at the square cut out of the floors to see all the way through the skylight on the roof, in the hopes of getting his bearings. He spun around until a familiar set of brown rabbit ears were seen on the third floor, the girl they belonged to waving to him enthusiastically.

Jaune waved back, then made his way up the nearby stairs up to the third floor. As he rounded the final corner to ascend the last flight, he saw Velvet waiting patiently for him. She was wearing a long, flowing, brown jacket over top of a white form fitting shirt, and a pair of jeans, with a large brown belt around her midsection. She flashed a smile to Jaune as he took the last step. "Hey, Jaune. How are you?"

Jaune reciprocated the smile for a moment. "I'm fine, Velvet. Had a weird run in with Cardin, but not too bad."

"Oh?" Velvet said confused as she lead Jaune to the table she procured. She took a look around the library floor they were on before continuing "With Cardin? Do you mind me asking what happened?"

Jaune shrugged off his backpack and set it on the floor, leaning it up against the table leg. "Well, I exited the dorm out into the campus, enjoying the great day, when Cardin bumped me to the ground. Now that I say it out loud, seems kinda dumb. I was probably in his way, or he didn't notice me and was in a rush." Jaune grabbed an open seat and sat down, "Nothing to worry about, I suppose."

Velvet occupied the seat opposite him, "Well, if that's how you feel, then I guess I'll drop it."

Jaune couldn't shake the uneasy feeling he had in the pit of his stomach as they began their session.

* * *

"Jaune, are you listening?"

Jaune's eyes snapped up, the haze dissipating from his eyes as he looked at his surroundings. He was still in the library, though a few hours had passed. Velvet was looking at him with concern, and the page they were working on filled with information he wouldn't be able to piece together no matter how much time he had.

"Are you ok?" Velvet asked with concern.

"Oh, yeah, I'm fine. Just kinda spaced out for a moment or two," Jaune said, trying to brush off his study partner's worry."

"Alright, but I think it would be best if we called it for today. If you want, we can pick this up tomorrow at the same time." Velvet said, trying to hold Jaune's attention.

Jaune looked up to meet her eyes, but froze as he realized he was just inches from her face. They both jerked back slightly, "Oh, sorry." A small blush came upon his face as he answered, "I guess that would be for the best. I'm sorry, but I wasn't paying attention today. Don't know what's gotten into me."

"No worries," Velvet reassured him, giving him a gentle pat on the shoulder. "We'll go through all this tomorrow so you can get it then.

"Thanks," Jaune said, grabbing his things and organizing it into his backpack again. He hoisted it back onto his shoulders and turned to make sure Velvet was set. "Hey, Velvet?"

Velvet just finished putting her belongings into her messenger bag and slung it over her shoulder. "Yes, Jaune?"

Jaune rubbed the back of his neck and looked away, "I feel kinda bad about the study session today. Want to grab some coffee? My treat."

Velvet gave a friendly smile, "I would love to, Jaune, but don't feel like you owe me anything. Things like this happen sometimes."

"I know," Jaune replied with a chuckle, "but you've been really great with helping me study for something as weird as philosophy, not to mention the drunken escapade I involved you in last week, and I kinda want to repay the favor. As friends, of course."

Velvet chuckled, "Alright, I suppose I can't turn down an offer like that." And with another shade of red darkening Jaune's cheeks, they set off down the stairs and out the library.

They opened the doors of the building and stepped back out into the sunlight, the unusually warm day for winter a blessing to all who could enjoy it. They made their way across campus and into the college town that was one intersection away. The main streets deeper in played host to everything from cafes to arcades, pharmacies and gas stations, all the way to the niche and just short of undesirable.

Jaune made his way through the streets, enjoying a pleasant conversation with Velvet, until he reached his destination. "Tada!" Jaune exclaimed, making a dramatic pose as he showed off where he had brought Velvet.

The single story building itself was run down, the brick having faded into a weird grey that was chipping on the edges. There was a display of graffiti along the right side that ran around the other side of the building. A single small display window that was cracked right in the middle was on the front of the building, but was too dirty to look through. There also hung a faded sign of hours open barely seen, let alone understood. The door into the building looked like it was going to fall off its hinges if you touched it.

Though hanging brightly and magnificently above everything, there was a perfect, new sign that read: Silent Haven Cafe.

Velvet looked at the building with a friendly smile, trying to hide her worry at the structural integrity of the building. Jaune saw right through that, however, and addressed her growing concern.

"Alright, I know it doesn't look the best, but the guy who owns it is a really sweet old man who bought it off a struggling family after their business went under. He's super nice, if a little quiet, and makes some of the best… well, anything! I've never had anything here that was bad." Jaune studied Velvet's face to see if his glowing review had made an impact on her.

"Well," Velvet said, focusing back on Jaune, "I think this old man deserves our business, then."

Jaune smiled as he subconsciously grabbed Velvet's hand and lead her to the front door. The unexpected aroma of fresh picked flowers in a meadow wafted through the door as Jaune opened it, guiding his friend through the cafe.

Jaune dropped Velvet's hand with a reassuring "Wait here a minute," And disappeared further into the cafe.

Velvet looked around, the inside a million times better than the outside. The interior was rectangular for the customers, with beautiful wooden tables lining the wall to her left, and another row just beside them with the perfect amount of room to walk through. The chairs looked soft and elegant, as if you would sink right into them, matching the wooden design of the tables.

The wall to her left was painted a light brown, a splash of color to extend through the rest of the space. The other walls were a soft white, similar in color to the polished marble floors.

The coffee bar on her right was adorned on the outside with black, brick-like tiles that popped against the white around it. In the middle of the counter, the tile was replaced by wood identical to the tables, with two wooden stools pushed underneath.

After that, a small bakery case was set up with only six different pastries, though every single one looked perfect, and made Velvet's mouth water.

The decorations and lighting inside made the whole room feel warm and inviting. The perfect day outside felt dark and inhospitable when compared to it. Velvet let the atmosphere sink in around her for a few moments before she could hear two sets of footsteps approaching.

Jaune reappeared around a corner, with another older gentleman behind him, beaming at the unfamiliar face in his cafe. "Welcome, welcome. I'm so glad you decided to give my shop a chance." He said, extending a hand as he approached

"It looks beautiful, mister…" Velvet trailed off as she grabbed his hand and shook it, waiting for introductions.

"Oh, no need for formalities. I don't have a prefered title, so you can call me whatever you'd like." He said

"Oh, alrighty then." Velvet replied with hesitation.

"Don't worry, Velvet," Jaune tried to reassure her again, "I call him Sir in public."

"Then I guess I shall as well." Velvet said with a smile, dropping the hand she still held.

"What can I get for you, Miss Velvet?" Sir asked.

"Oh, I'm more of a tea person, so whatever you have, Sir."

He simply nodded and went back where he had come, disappearing around the corner, and coming back around to the other side of the bar.

Jaune turned back to Velvet, "So, what do you think?"

Velvet looked around once more before she sighed, "It's perfect, Jaune. How did you even find this place?"

Jaune lead her over to a table near the front, right up against the wall. "Well, I learned pretty quickly that the room can be a little overbearing at times, so I decided to walk around town whenever I had a spare moment. I happened to run into Sir right after we got locked out of our room last semester."

Velvet gasped, "No, you didn't. Did Glynda…?"

Jaune sighed, looking away, "All I'm gonna say is that it was rough, and once I woke up from being unconscious, decided to clear my head and walk around town."

"Wait, what did Glynda do?" Velvet asked, extending her hand onto Jaune's in concern.

Jaune blushed at the gesture, "Nothing, really. She wanted to know what happened, threatened us with a newspaper, and when I admitted that I was distracted by Weiss… Well, to tell you the truth, Weiss has a mean backhand with a newspaper." Jaune started rubbing his cheek, the memory still fresh in his mind.

"Oh my god, really? She knocked you unconscious?" Velvet said, worry still thick in her voice, though combined with her Australian accent just made it sound adorable.

Jaune tried his best to wave it off, "Oh, n-no worries. Worked out for the best, I guess. Ran into this place right as he was closing and had a pleasant conversation with him. Now I come every once in awhile to get away from the room for a bit. Never seems to help me avoid the craziness, though."

Velvet smiled, though leaned back when she noticed Sir standing next to them. He quickly deposited two cups in front of their respective owners, set down a plate with two pastries on it, and retreated back behind the counter.

Velvet took a moment to savor the smells coming from the tea, the pastries, and the coffee Jaune had received. Jaune, on the other hand, grabbed the large mug and took a small sip, relishing in the flavors that the creator always blended perfectly.

Seeing Jaune take his first sip, Velvet followed along and took a small sip of her own mystery concoction. She hummed at the sweet yet subtle flavors that bounced around in her mouth until she swallowed, the temperature just perfect for drinking while still remaining hot.

Jaune put his cup down and sighed, "I still don't know how he does it, but I've never tasted anything quite like this."

Velvet giggled, "Me neither," was all she was able to get out before she took another sip of her tea and closed her eyes in bliss.

Jaune and Velvet carried on their conversation from earlier, only slowing to take a bite from the iced triple berry scone and sugar topped cheese danish or to take another sip of their drink.

The two lost track of time, wrapped up in the atmosphere of the cafe, blissfully unaware of the pair watching from outside the building.

* * *

Jaune walked past the reception desk, through the dormitories, and out into the world once again. Unlike yesterday, the weather turned as snow was falling, pushed by the harsh wind that had kicked up. Jaune bundled his coat closer to him, lowered his beanie onto his head, and set out for his study session with Velvet.

As he walked along, he felt something whiz past his head. He didn't think much of it, until something else hit him in the back. He paused for a moment and looked around, wondering where the mystery projectile came from.

The question was answered as a snow ball came flying into his face, nearly knocking him to the ground for the second day. Though the rough push helped bring him all the way down.

He cleared off his face and looked up, an imposing figure standing above him with a scowl on their face.

Cardin leaned down over Jaune and brought another snowball into Jaune's vision. "Look, I don't know what you intend to do with Velvet, but she's MY girlfriend, so unless you back off, you're going to wish that I kept throwing snowballs." Cardin dropped the snowball on Jaune's face, stomped on his chest, and walked away

Jaune coughed at the sudden assault and tried to brush off the snow as best he could while trying to breath again. Though through it all, a thousand thoughts ran across Jaune's mind.

When he finally made it to the library, he climbed the stairs and went back to the table they were at yesterday. The familiar rabbit ears pointed him in the right direction, even if her face was covered by her textbook and a brown scarf she had adorned.

"Hey, Velvet," Jaune had so many questions, but stopped short of any of them when he took a look a Velvet's face.

What immediately drew Jaune's attention was the large black eye and the swollen cheek of her left side. He could see bruises on her neck, but the scarf she wore covered them up. Though once Velvet saw him staring, she hid herself behind her book again.

"Jaune, please, it's ok."

Jaune was stunned, how could this be ok? She was perfectly fine yesterday and now, today? She looked like she was on the wrong side of a boxing match. "Ok? What do you mean, ok? What happened to you?"

Velvet shied away a bit, trying to cover herself more. "It was an accident. Something fell and hit me last night. It was no one's fault." The weak tone didn't convince Jaune.

"Was it Cardin?"

Velvet's muscles tensed and she closed her eyes tight at the mention of her boyfriend's name. The silence that lasted between them made Jaune sick. "No, it wasn't him. He doesn't want to hurt me. He wouldn't hurt me for no reason. He cares about me. It was my fault it happened. Just… clumsy me."

Jaune moved to the other side of the table and gently grabbed her shoulder. She flinched and cried out in pain at the sudden contact, ripping herself away from Jaune and clutching her left shoulder.

"M-Maybe we should just start the study session?" Velvet whimpered, keeping her body huddled away from Jaune.

Jaune just watched, horrified at the shuddering display before him. He didn't know what to do, though he did know who to turn to. "Velvet, I think we should call it off today and resume next week at the regular time"

Velvet attempted to right herself and look at Jaune, the scarf falling lower to reveal deep red bruising all along her neck. "N-No, don't worry, I can still do this. I can…" Jaune clenched his fists to keep from screaming.

"Velvet. Go home and rest. I'll be fine if I study by myself for the day. You need to take care of yourself." Jaune gave a small smile to try to convey his worry, though he knew it was hollow.

Velvet smiled back for a moment, then collected her things and put them inside her bag, which she kept hold of instead of throwing it on her shoulder. As she passed by, she whispered "Thank you for understanding," and was gone.

Jaune stood still for a few minutes before composing himself and returning to the dorm room.

* * *

" **HE DID WHAT!?"** Yang screamed, looking at Jaune in total disbelief.

"Please, Yang, keep it down," Jaune said, trying to calm the blonde before the whole school knew what happened to Velvet. "You promised you would keep it between us."

"Yeah, that was before I knew how big of a fucking ass he is! Putting my car on the roof of the library is one thing, but THIS!" Yang stood from her bed and crossed over to her closet, grabbing her coat.

Jaune stood in her way of the door, knowing exactly what she was planning. "Yang, wait. You remember what happened the last time you saw Cardin? You aren't supposed to go near him!"

That seemed to put a pause in Yang's step before she smiled. "I may not be able to do anything, but I know of someone else who will do far worse. Follow me."

The bad feeling in Jaune's stomach grew worse as they left room B and stopped in front of Weiss and Ren studying on the couch. They both looked up, Weiss with a bit of annoyance in her eyes, and Ren as calm as ever.

"Can we help you?" Weiss asked, wanting to get back to his work.

"Do you know where Nora is?" Yang asked Ren, "We have a very important task for her."

Ren sighed, not wanting to get in the middle of it. "Nora, Ruby, and Pyrrha went out to build a snowman. I don't know where, though."

"Thanks!" Yang said and rushed out the door.

After only a few moments, Yang dragged Jaune to where the three were located, attempting to roll snow with a harsh wind working against them. Yang grabbed Nora, dragged her off with a slurry of protests from Ruby and Pyrrha, and made sure no one was around before explaining to Nora what Jaune had told her.

"He did what?" Nora asked with a low growl, which caused Jaune to take a step back.

"This is where you come in. I can't get close to him by myself without causing suspicion, and Cardin's too smart for me to threaten him without backup." Yang said.

"I got it." Nora said deadpanned, any of her normal energy or exuberance lost. She turned around, stormed back to the snowman project, opening a toolbox that neither of them had seen before, and began looking inside.

"Why do you need a toolbox to build a snowman?" Jaune asked.

"It's Nora." Yang said. Jaune nodded at the acceptable answer and awaited her return. When she did, she was carrying three things: A rather hefty rubber mallet, a pair of brass knuckles, and an unnecessarily large screwdriver.

Before Jaune could ask why Nora had a pair of brass knuckles in a toolbox, he was whisked away to find Cardin.

He wasn't particularly hard to find, the screams of the innocent and malicious laughing was a pretty good indicator. Once they did, they saw him walking out into a field alone, jacket puffed up and no one else around as far as they could tell.

As the three trailed behind him, Yang walked closer to Jaune. "Jaune, leave the threatening to us. But, you'll be our voice of reason. If either one of us goes too far, it's your job to drag us off him. Got it?"

"One question,"

"Go ahead."

"Where's Nora?"

Yang turned back around to see Nora gone. Instead, she was charging at Cardin, a thundering war cry cutting through the wind.

"God damnit."

The two took chase after Nora

Even with the war cry giving Cardin warning, he was unable to escape the onslaught of Nora. She threw the rubber mallet over her head and it hit him square on the back, causing him to topple over on the ground. Nora then leapt on top of him and tried to keep him down.

Once Jaune and Yang had arrived, Cardin was locked into a position Jaune had never seen before, though it was effective. Cardin stopped struggling altogether once he saw the other two arrive.

"Jaune, interesting reversal of roles. And Yang, pleasure seeing you. I thought we agreed we would never do that again." The confident smirk made Jaune's blood boil.

"Something like that," Yang began, "though the circumstances have changed."

"Oh really, and what would that be?" Cardin said.

"It's the way you treat sweet, young, innocent Velvet, you monster." Yang said, raising her fists to show off her brass knuckles.

Cardin started laughing at that, "You think Velvet is sweet and innocent? HA, you sure do have the wrong idea about Faunus."

"What do you mean?" Nora asked while still holding Cardin locked.

He laughed again, the sound starting to get on Jaune's nerves as he started walking around him. "The ears aren't the only bit of physiology that 'sweet' Velvet inherited. There's a reason the phrase says 'fucking like rabbits'! Man, you should see what she does with her ears. Makes my dick hard now just thinking ab-AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!"

Yang watched with wide eyes as Jaune tried to stand on Cardin's crotch, putting as much force into his foot as he could. Nora tried her best to keep Cardin under control, but the pain radiating from his crotch made him squirm with renewed vigor.

After a few moments, however, Jaune let off his pressure, knelt down, and brandished the screwdriver just above Cardin. Still trapped on the ground, Cardin looked down after regaining his composure and his eyes bulged at what he saw.

Jaune's eyes burned brightly, locking with Cardin's before focusing back on his crotch. He raised the screwdriver and brought it down towards it as fast as he could with no intentions of stopping.

"Jaune, NO!" Yang dove forward, tackling Jaune off his target, though the screwdriver's momentum carried it into Cardin's leg, cutting through his clothing and tearing into his skin.

Cardin cried out in pain, though was still pinned by Nora as he tried to flail around. Once the initial pain subsided, he turned his attention back to Jaune. "What the fuck, man. What does it matter what I do to Velvet. She's my fucking girlfriend, I can do whatever I want to the bitch."

Jaune lunged back out at Cardin, but Yang caught him and pulled him back, retching the bloody screwdriver from him. She then turned back to Cardin with a fire in her eyes. "If I didn't have half a fucking mind, I wouldn't hold Jaune back and sit here serenaded by your screams. You don't fucking deserve Velvet, and she needs a hell of a lot better than you!"

Cardin groaned from the pain in his leg, the cold starting to numb it. "Better? Better like the half-wit Jaune over there?"

Yang turned to see Jaune still on the ground, a glare she had never seen in his eyes as he gripped the dirt through the snow to keep from lunging again. Yang focused back on Cardin, "Yes, exactly like Jaune. Because what Jaune lacks physically, he makes up for in loyalty and courage! He is always there for others when they need him and, as far as I can tell, has taken this bullshit for the last time. He may be half your size, but he's ten times the man you'll ever be! And you'd better believe that if we see one hair out of place on Velvet's head, I won't be here to stop Jaune from finishing you off."

Yang rose from the ground and collected Jaune, his anger still boiling over at the death glare he had somehow mastered in a few moments. Nora released her captive, walked over his chest as she passed, and collected her mallet as she ran to catch up with the other two.

They walked in silence all the way back to the dorm, not a word uttered to anyone else about what transpired in the snow. Jaune ended up locking himself in his room, Ren understanding immediately when he saw Nora of all people a bit shaken up by the whole ordeal.

The night stayed uneventful, though early the next morning, the door to the dorm was being hammered mercilessly.

"I hear you!" Ruby called over the noise, stifling a yawn with her hand. She shuffled over to the door and opened it up to reveal Velvet in absolute disarray, sobbing uncontrollably in front of room 205. "Oh my god! Are you ok?" Ruby asked, noticing the bruises on Velvet's face for the first time.

"I-Is Jaune… Is-" Velvet tried to say between sobs and a newly formed cracked lip.

"Yes, Jaune's here, please, come in." Ruby said quickly, ushering the distressed girl into the room. She helped her over to the couch, shooing Ren away who had slept there to give Jaune his space, and sat her down. She looked around at the heads poking out of the rooms, everyone curious about the noise. All except Jaune.

Ruby rushed over to Jaune's room and knocked on the door. "Jaune, open up!"

"Not now, Ruby," called Jaune from the other side of the door.

Ruby knocked again, more furiously, "Jaune, please. It's Velvet. She's here and-" The door swung open, cutting Ruby off and knocking her off balance.

Jaune stood in the doorway, still in his onesie while trying to locate Velvet. Once he saw her crumpled on the couch in a heap of tears with Ren trying to comfort her as best he could, he sprung into action.

He crossed over to Velvet and knelt down in front of her, whispering softly, "Velvet, it's Jaune. You're alright now."

Upon hearing his voice, Velvet latched onto Jaune's neck tightly, the sobs and tears never ceasing. He stayed still for a moment, looking around the room at the confused and worried faces. Jaune gently wrapped his arms around the shuddering girl, picked her up as best as he could, and waddled uncomfortably back to his room, closing the door so they could have some privacy.

Jaune continued his way further into the room, making sure not to drop her or hurt her more. With a heave, he set her on his bed, though her arms kept their iron grip around his neck. Jaune just simply kept his arms wrapped around her, gently rubbing her back, and waited.

After a few minutes, the grip on his neck seemed to lighten, though when he started to move away, Velvet strengthened her hold, nearly choking Jaune.

Another couple of minutes passed in the early morning and Jaune decided it would be better and easier if he had laid down as well. He gently moved Velvet more onto the bed and climbed on right next to her. He made sure they were both as comfortable as they could be, closed his eyes, and waited patiently for Velvet to calm down.

* * *

"Jaune, are you listening?"

Jaune awoke with a start, trying to reorient himself with his surroundings. He was laying in his bed, the room dark except for the snowing grey sky that shone in through the window. He looked around and saw Velvet on top of him, a smile spread across her face as she watched him. With the memories of what happened piecing themselves together in his brain, he looked up at her with confusion.

"Velvet, are you ok?" Jaune asked, unsure of where to start.

"I'm better now," Velvet said, "though I have to thank you."

"For what?"

"For helping me this morning."

"Oh… Um, can I ask about that?"

Velvet's smile slowly faded, her attention drawn away by something else. "Yeah, I suppose I could tell you. So… What do you want to know?"

Jaune took a moment to think, the thousands of potential questions flooding his mind. He figured he wanted to start with what he last knew. "What happened after you left the library yesterday?"

Velvet sighed, remembering back. "Well, I went back to my dorm, got a nice hot meal, and went to sleep to try to let myself heal, just like you asked. After a couple of hours, I woke up to Cardin pounding on my door, and when I opened it up, I saw him standing there, furious, with a deep cut in his leg."

Jaune interrupted her story, "Did he tell you how he got it?"

"No," Velvet said, "he brushed off any questions I had, getting angry with me when I tried to help him. He insisted that he could do it, and grabbed my first aid kit I had. He bandaged himself up, muttering something about a rusty screwdriver, but would yell at me if I got close. After that, well, he said I would do better to… help him in our usual way."

Jaune's heart skipped a beat.

"So, we ended up having sex. I've never really been able to say no to him, to anyone really. It's been something I've grown to appreciate as well. Though no matter what, I always made sure I used protection. This time, Cardin didn't want to."

"What?"

"I didn't want to, I got scared, though he's bigger and stronger than I am, so he had his way with me. But I kept fighting, I got into a better position and kicked him off me. I guess it was too hard or his leg gave out, because he crashed into the wall, nearly knocking him unconscious."

"Velvet."

"The second it happened, I got scared. I didn't mean to hurt him, I just wanted him off. I went to help him up, but he slapped me in the face. He called me a- a slutty bitch, told me to… go fuck myself, and that it was over between us."

A single teardrop fell onto the bed.

"Coco, my roommate, came in shortly after he left and found me naked, curled up on the floor, crying. I know now she tried to comfort me, though at the time it was useless. I was too shocked, too many emotions running through my mind to comprehend anything. So, in the end, Coco dressed me and brought me back up to my bed and let me sleep. I didn't end up sleeping, and, in the morning, came to see you."

Another teardrop fell as Jaune tried to take in all of the information he had just received. "Wait, are you telling me you went through the snow in nothing more than your pajamas and bare feet?"

Velvet sat up on the bed, facing away from Jaune to hide her face. "Y-yeah, I wasn't thinking straight, I just couldn't sleep. I… I just needed to see someone… To see you."

Jaune sat up as well, gently placing a hand on her back, not wanting to hurt her like he did in the library. "Velvet…"

"I'm sorry," Velvet interrupted, "I can leave if you don't want me here. I've been a burden on you, so-"

"No, no, please. Don't go." Jaune said, trying to keep Velvet calm.

Velvet wiped her eyes, clearing her vision as she made her way over Jaune to stand back on the floor. "No, it's fine, I understand. Who would want to deal with a- a slutty… bitch like me."

Jaune quickly stood, "No, Velvet, that isn't you. You're not what Cardin says you are. You are your own person. You can do whatever you want. If you want to stay, you're more than welcome. If you want to go, then I'm not stopping you.

Velvet stood still for a few moments, until she slowly turned around to look at Jaune, a new set of tears in her eyes. "Can… can we lay down again?"

Jaune gave a small smile, "Yes."

They repositioned themselves back on Jaune's bed, Jaune on his back, Velvet on her side, both looking at each other.

"Are... are you going to be ok? Jaune asked

Velvet took a moment to think, though eventually nodded. "I think so… I just don't know. I may have to take a while to myself and try to let this heal. I didn't know how... dark of a place, and I don't want to go back to that."

"I understand," Jaune said, "I'll be here for you to help as much as I can, I promise."

Velvet gave a small smile, though Jaune understood as new tears were forming in her eyes from a different emotion. "Thank you, Jaune. That means a lot to me."

Jaune smiled back, "Of course."

They sat in silence for a few moments until Velvet gave a big yawn, "I guess I'm still really tired."

"Oh, if you want, I can leave and you can use this room." Jaune said, trying to keep his promise to help.

Velvet laid back down on top of Jaune, getting herself comfortable. "Actually, you work perfect right here."

A comfortable peace descended on the room as the two inhabitants drifted back to sleep.

* * *

 **AN: Noble: Hello everyone, Noble here, I'm pleased to announce that we are "mostly" ready to bring this story back.**

 **We still have some things that we wanted to work out with the story, however, I believe that it shouldn't take us too much longer before we are back to posting more often. That being said, we have a few changes to our schedule. We won't be doing weekly posts, instead posting when we have stuff ready and are comfortable with each chapter.**

 **Coincidentally, we are currently (as of the time of this posting), streaming for Extra Life, so come on out and watch the stream, maybe even donate since it all is going to charity. You can find us on twitch by searching Legion205, there will be links to the donation page from there! In any case, thank you guys for understanding, and we'll be back with more (hopefully) soon!**

 **(TumbleZwei)**


	34. IceFlower on the Town

**Chapter 34: IceFlower on the Town**

' _Ok, Pyrrha, you got this. Just go in there and ask Ruby if she wants to go out for dinner together since it's Valentine's day,_ ' Pyrrha thought to herself as she was pacing back and forth in her room. She had been planning out a date for the two of them for about a week now, yet the hardest part of it all was just asking Ruby if she wanted to partake in the event together.

"Ssooo… whatcha doing putting a rut in the rug?" Nora asked, seeing her roommate pacing the floor.

"Wha…" Pyrrha completely forgot that her roommate was in the room. Hearing Nora speak to her threw Pyrrha out of her own thoughts. "Oh, er… I'm just trying to psych myself up enough to actually ask Ruby if she wanted to go out to dinner-JUST AS FRIENDS THOUGH! No reason to make any assumptions by that."

"Do you take me for a bear rider? If you were going just as friends, you wouldn't need to psych yourself up," The ginger asked.

"Don't you and Ren have a reservation to keep?" Pyrrha insinuated, hoping that Nora would drop that portion of the conversation.

"Wait…. what time is it?"

"It's actually time for us to get going, Nora," Ren said from the door to their room. "Now let Pyrrha be, we have to go."

"Coming, Renny!" Nora said, frolicking to the door. Pyrrha was silently thanking Ren for getting her roommate out of the dorm. She wasn't going to be able to handle things if she had the overly hyperactive ginger questioning her actions. "Have a great time, Pyrrha. And don't forget to put a sock on the door if things go somewhere."

"NORA!" Pyrrha shouted as she threw a pillow in Nora's general direction. The energetic ginger ducked the pillow, and Pyrrha was rewarded with a voice she still wasn't quite ready for.

"Pyrrha, why did I just get a face full of pillow?" Ruby asked, holding the errant projectile.

"Oh, Ruby!" Pyrrha said as she was running in full panic mode internally. "I didn't see you there, and er… that was meant for Nora. Sorry."

"Well, whatever shampoo you use suits you. Any plans for today?" Ruby asked, handing Pyrrha the pillow.

"Well, I uh… I was just. Um, are you doing anything tonight?" Pyrrha asked, hoping her face wasn't sweating out bullets.

"Yang kinda suggested that I take Weiss out for dinner tonight, and Weiss liked the idea as well. So yeah, that's what I'm doing tonight," Ruby said nonchalantly. "Why do you ask?"

Hearing Ruby talk about how she had a date with Weiss shattered her. She felt a small part of herself just drop at the statement Ruby made. It took her a few seconds stood in paralysed silence, but she eventually gathered her composure together and finally answered Ruby's question. "Oh, no reason. Just trying to get a grip on what everyone was planning for the holiday tonight." Pyrrha was hoping that Ruby just moved on so she could deal with this hurt alone.

"Ok… well, would you mind giving Weiss and I a lift to the restaurant? Yang and Blake are… well… indisposed," The smaller redhead asked.

'I'd rather not do that, not for the date between the two of you,' Pyrrha thought to herself. Despite feeling terrible for having those thoughts, she still didn't want to do it for fear of ruining the night for Ruby and Weiss. "Sorry, I uh… I kind of have some homework to do tonight," Pyrrha fibbed. "I'm sorry."

"It's fine, school work comes first after all. Just don't stay up too late. And Pyrrha, Nora made a good point; a sock on the door makes for decent alone time," Ruby smirk before ducking another pillow.

"Have fun on your date, Ruby," Pyrrha called out, hating what she was saying and forcing herself to sound happy for her. Pyrrha grabbed her pillow and walked back into the room, shutting the door behind her so that the conversation could end before she did something she regretted.

* * *

 **Restaurant - 6:30pm**

Ruby had taken extra care to make sure she didn't mess up this evening. It all started with the two helping each other getting into their outfits for the night.

Ruby had decided on a less traditional feel for her outfit, opting for black slacks as opposed to a dress. She also was able to convince Weiss to wear flats. She topped off her ensemble with a red button down shirt and a form fitting single button jacket to finish it off.

Weiss, on the other hand, kept to her traditional charms by going with a light blue dress that went down to her knees. The top crossed over itself to keep cleavage to a minimum, and the dress covered her shoulders down to her elbows.

When they were finished with their initial outfits, Ruby helped tie a ribbon into the blue silk sash around Weiss' waist.

"Excuse me, we're here for our reservation. It should be for two under Ruby Rose," Ruby said, walking up to the hostess of the restaurant. The hostess took a glance down at her paperwork and saw the name in question.

"Alright. If you two would follow me, we'll get you seated," She said as she led them towards their table.

As Ruby and Weiss followed the hostess through the crowded restaurant, Ruby had instinctively taken Weiss' hand so as to not become separated, but she didn't notice the blush that formed on the woman's cheeks. Once the pair reached their table, Ruby pulled the chair out for Weiss, who was taken aback just a bit at the gesture.

"T-thank you, Ruby," Weiss said, taking her seat. She was still surprised at the gesture as Ruby helped push her chair in.

"No problem, Weiss," Ruby said as she walked over to her seat. After she sat down, she opened her menu and was thrown off by the selection. "So, I've never actually been to this restaurant before."

"Don't worry, if you have any sort of trouble figuring out what is on the menu, just let me know and I'll fill you in," Weiss replied as she started to browse the menu.

After browsing through the menu, Ruby had selected the chicken cordon bleu as her meal while Weiss ordered herself a marlin steak. Weiss of course had to turn down the bottle of wine that the restaurant had brought over, informing them that they were still underage.

The two waited patiently for their meals to arrive, though it initially started in silence as Ruby was too focused on not saying the wrong thing that she decided not to say anything at all. It wasn't until she saw Weiss give a small signal with her hand that prompted her to speak.

"So, Weiss, how's the new school semester for you?" Ruby asked, deciding to work with the first thing that popped into her head.

Weiss gave a small chuckle at the choice of question. "Well, since you're my roommate, you already know that I've been focusing on balancing school work and my job."

"Heh, yeah, I guess that wasn't the best way to start," Ruby said as she struggled to find another subject to talk about.

Fortunately, she was saved from another awkward question as a server had arrived to deliver their food. They set the plates down, gave a courteous bow, and dismissed themselves from the table.

"So Weiss, how's the marlin steak?" Ruby asked as she took a bite from her own meal.

"Well, aside from the well of conversation apparently running low from you today, this is going pretty well," Weiss said as she delicately cut up her meal.

"What?" Ruby questioned. "I don't er… that is, I… man, I'm not really doing well with this, am I?"

"No, but it's quite alright," Weiss reassured. "Honestly, I'm just happy to be here. I can't even remember the last time someone took me out for my birthday."

At that one comment, a comment that had come only in passing, Ruby almost came close to dropping the glass of water she held up to her lips. Her eyes practically bulged out of her head in shock, and it took her a second to regain her composure. "Why didn't you tell me it was your birthday?!"

"I thought you knew already, and that's why you were taking me out for dinner," Weiss commented back. "What else would there be?"

"Um, Valentine's day?"

"Which in retrospect does make my birthday come in second when most people think about February. Even my own parents tend to forget sometimes," Weiss said, a little downcast.

"Wait, really?" Ruby pondered. "Why would your parents forget your own birthday? That's just stupid of them. No offense to your parents, of course."

"Easy to forget someone's birthday when you're barely around. I spent most of my early years in a boarding school," Weiss said, moving bits of her food around with her fork. "Maybe denying that wine was a bad idea, considering."

"Well, I just hope that I've been helping to make this one spectacular," Ruby beamed, hoping to cheer Weiss up after causing her to feel sad.

Weiss subconsciously found herself taking Ruby's hand, "It's the best birthday I've ever had, Ruby."

"In that case, I'm glad to be a part of it," Ruby said as she raised her glass of water up to toast with Weiss. "Oh, real quick, I need to use the bathroom. I'll be right back."

"Don't take too long," Weiss smiled as Ruby stood up.

While Ruby was making her way to the bathroom, she had another objective in mind. She stopped her waitress when she saw her. "Hey, so it's my date's birthday today, so is there anything you could do for a dessert for her?"

"We'll bring something over once we have it prepared," The waitress said, and Ruby smiled as she felt accomplished.

* * *

 **Dorms**

Pyrrha continued to lay on her bed. She didn't feel like getting up and doing anything. Hearing how Ruby and Weiss were on a date together felt like a kick to her gut. She couldn't tell which was worse, that both Ruby and Weiss were on a date in general, or that they were on a date with each other.

"Yo, why do you look so mopey?" Yang asked from the door to Pyrrha's room.

Pyrrha barely had the energy to look over from her bed to where the blonde was standing. She could barely make out the very loose clothing that her suitemate was wearing, or the lack of underwear underneath it. "I don't want to talk about it, Yang," Pyrrha grumbled to herself. "Also what are you doing over here? Shouldn't you be spending today with your girlfriend?" Pyrrha hadn't meant to sound so bitter, she just couldn't help it given her current state.

"Yep, you definitely need this more than I do," Yang said as she walked into the room and held out a bottle of whiskey for Pyrrha.

"Yang, what are you doing?" Pyrrha questioned.

"I'm giving you a bottle so that you can try and relax, get your mind off of whatever it is that's causing you trouble," Yang admitted. "Plus, I kinda promised Blake that I would try to cut back on the amount of drinking I do. It just works out this way. Anyway, you wanna talk about what's bothering you?"

Pyrrha contemplated just spilling everything before deciding that she shouldn't, especially since it involved Yang's little sister. "I think I'll just… go for a walk," Pyrrha said as she stood up and walked over to her closet.

"Out in this weather?" Yang inquired. "It's freezing cold outside."

"No better time to do that then," Pyrrha said. "Now, if you don't mind, I kinda need to get changed into some warmer clothes."

"Alright, if you insist," Yang said, leaving the bottle on Pyrrha's bed where she once laid. "Just remember, you can talk to us if you need to. We're your friends after all." Yang left it at that and decided to walk out of the room, leaving Pyrrha be.

"I know," Pyrrha whispered to herself as she continued to get changed. In the back of her closet, she looked at a wooden box that she left untouched most of the time. Deciding that tonight was an appropriate night, she took the box, opened it up, and removed some of it's contents. After placing them in her pocket, she replaced the box back where it originally lay and walked out the door.

Once she made her way outside, she took in the cold. It was gently snowing and Pyrrha was glad that she bundled up enough to keep herself mostly warm. She walked through the campus, noticing each of the couples that were around. She watched as they were walking about, going out to dinner, coming back from a night out, or just showing off their love.

Each and every one of them reminded Pyrrha of her own shortcoming in the world of relationships. She walked over to a more secluded area of the campus where she felt that she could be alone. When Pyrrha felt she had enough privacy, she reached into her pocket and removed what she had grabbed before she left.

Pyrrha unwrapped the cigar she held between her fingers and used a cigar cutter to take off one of the ends. Normally she would have used matches to light it, but with the cold and the wind, she didn't want to fiddle around with matches at that moment. So instead, she removed her lighter and lit it up, taking in the taste of the cigar she began to smoke.

The cigar was infused with an english tea flavoring, leaving a sweet taste in Pyrrha's mouth. Once it was adequately lit, Pyrrha pocketed her lighter and focused all of her time into the cigar itself.

She let the smoke simmer in her mouth before exhaling. The feeling, despite how much Pyrrha knew it wasn't good for her overall health, was soothing to her. Pyrrha didn't smoke her cigars often, only choosing to do so when she was either really stressed out over something, or for special occasions. The last time she recalled having one was on her drive back home after she dropped Blake off at the end of last semester.

' _It certainly has been a while since I last had one of these,_ ' Pyrrha thought to herself. ' _It's not like tonight has gone well for me anyway. Life never has till now, why should it change?_ '

Pyrrha thought back through her life, how she had felt about relationships with people. Truth be told, she had never had a relationship before. Any time she ever found interest in someone, she always managed to screw it up. Even the friendships she made went only so far before she went to Patch. Whether it's by her own indecisions, or her desire to try and keep normal friendships, Pyrrha managed to push away any and all chances of a relationship.

'Looks like it's going to stay the same with both Ruby and Weiss,' Pyrrha thought to herself. Over the winter break, Pyrrha had figured out her feelings for the two girls in the A room of 205. She admitted to herself that she had feelings for both of them, and that in itself presented a problem. Now that the two girls who held her affections were appearing to be together, Pyrrha was all but drained of emotion. She felt like nothing was going right, that nothing would ever go right. Pyrrha could only hope that she managed to keep herself upright and her emotions from boiling over for the sake of her friendships with both Ruby and Weiss.

As she stood outside, the cigar started to grow shorter and shorter. Eventually, she found that it was time for her to kill it, and so she took one last puff before dropping it on the ground and snuffing out the embers.

For all its purposes, Pyrrha found that the cigar had certainly done its job. She felt her body was much more relaxed, and she decided it was time to return to the dorm. Pyrrha wanted to spend the night by herself, so she texted Nora to let her know that she just wanted to be left alone for the night as she walked on.

Once she returned to the dorm, Pyrrha shut the door leading into her own room. She got changed into her pajamas after putting her cigar cutter and lighter back into the box she got them from. Once she was done, she climbed into bed and laid down, hoping to get a little bit of sleep that night.

' _Maybe it just wasn't meant to be,_ ' Pyrrha thought to herself as she closed her eyes and let sleep overwhelm her.

* * *

 **Restaurant - 7:45pm**

"I can not believe that you went out of your way to get me my favorite dessert," Weiss cheered. "How did you even know that I loved Creme Brule?!"

"To be honest, I just guessed at it," Ruby confessed. "Guess I got it right after all."

"Still," Weiss took a bite out of her dessert. Once she swallowed, Weiss continued. "I cannot tell you just how much I appreciate having this on my birthday. Today has just been spectacular."

"Well, I just wanted to make sure this day really meant something special. Even if I have been making a bit of a fool of myself in the process," Ruby mentioned.

"Don't worry, I'm more than happy with how tonight went," Weiss complimented. "You did a wonderful job of making it a great evening."

"D'aww, thanks, Weiss," Ruby cooed.

Eventually the two of them finished up their dinner and messaged Jaune, letting him know to pick them up. It wasn't long of a wait, Jaune was waiting nearby doing some studying at a local coffee shop. Once he pulled up, Ruby and Weiss climbed into the car and the trio drove back to the dorms.

Part way through the night, Jaune noticed his phone go off. "Hey Ruby, can you check my phone for me? I'm kinda driving right now."

"Yeah, sure thing," Ruby said. She could help him out, he was great enough to drive her after Pyrrha said she couldn't. She grabbed his phone and looked down to see that Jaune had gotten a message from Ren.

=Hey, so apparently Nora and I need the room for tonight. Pyrrha messaged Nora saying she wanted to be alone for the evening.=

"Weird, Ren says that he needs the room with Nora for tonight," Ruby mentioned, leaving the part about Pyrrha out of the conversation.

"Just tell him thanks for the heads up," Jaune groaned. "Looks like I'm getting the uncomfortable spot on the couch tonight."

"Could be worse," Weiss mentioned. "At least you don't have to deal with Nora being sexually active tonight."

"The walls are a lot thinner than you would think," Jaune mentioned. "I'm sure you've realized this by now."

"Yeah," Ruby cringed. "You have no idea."

' _Still, what was going on with Pyrrha today?_ ' Ruby pondered as she sent the message to Ren. ' _She has been acting really weird all day. Did she want to do something with me tonight?_ '

Ruby put the thought off to the side as she talked with Weiss for the rest of the trip. Jaune of course left them to their business, tonight he was just their chauffeur. As they returned to their dorms, Weiss pulled Ruby to the side and shut the door to their room.

"I had a lot of fun tonight," Weiss said. "Thank you for making today special to me." What surprised Ruby most was that before she could say anything, Weiss leaned in and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "We should really get going to bed now."

Ruby couldn't even think for a second, only nodding in agreement and getting changed into her pajamas. She was shocked by the kiss that Weiss gave her. Everything about today was really messing with her head. Between Pyrrha acting weird and Weiss kissing her, everything about today was just throwing her through a loop. Before she fell asleep, Ruby had one last thought cross her mind.

' _What is going on? Am I falling in love or something?_ '

* * *

 **AN: Cmdr: I'M BACK BITCHES!**

 **Noble: Did somebody say Love Triangle?!**

 **Cmdr: Yes, we did, we've been beating them over the head with it since chapter one.**

 **Noble: I don't think it's been since chapter one. Maybe since like chapter two or three, I don't know. In any case, Love Triangle is official.**

 **Cmdr: For now it's a triangle soon other geometry will be involved.**

 **Noble: ...giggity?**

 **Cmdr: ...yes.**

 **Noble: Also, how about that swordfish reference?**

 **Cmdr: I sworda couldn't resist.**

 **Noble: ….*insert god dammit commander picture here***

 **Cmdr: Hey it's not my fault it was diving me crazy.**

 **Noble: I'm just gonna pretend I didn't see any of that. Now the big question comes, who will end up with who? We know the answer, and no we won't be telling you guys until it's official.**

 **In any case, we do have some important announcements to share, so Cmdr, take it away!**

 **Cmdr: We are going to be more active with our Pàtreon. Not only are we beginning to post early viewings of our own stories there but we will be posting 205 there as well. It'll up three days before posting here. You can find us there as Legion 205, also anyone who's curious I am working on the DnD podcast. Now that school is out, I should have more time to work on it. Still do not have an official date for you all yet but I will keep you updated via our Twitter, Legion_205.**

 **Noble: Side note, it is not required to donate to the Pàtreon, however we would very much appreciate any and all of it. We've already bought a bunch of microphones to use on said podcast through that and donations from Twitch. Everything will still get posted on this site, it's just that things will get pushed back in favor of those who do opt into giving us a hand.**

 **Cmdr: Thanks for reading look out for more!**

 ***TumbleZwei***


	35. Target Practice

**Chapter 35: Target Practice**

"Bored, bored, bored. Pyrrha! I'm bored! Can you please do something to heal me of this boredom curse?" Nora whined as she was hanging half her body over the bed.

"I'm pretty sure there's nothing I can do to help right now," Pyrrha replied, keeping her focus on her school work. "Same as the last 8 times you asked me."

The orange haired ball of energy groaned. "What about a show? Or a movie? Or a show and a movie while watching videos together on our phones!"

"Nora, wouldn't it be a better idea for you to go spend some more time with Ren? You two are dating after all," Pyrrha grumbled.

"First of all, we're not 'together' together, but besides that, we spend so much time together already! I wanna spend time with my roomie! Or...Oh wait! I think I have a better idea. And it has something to do with Ren! Thanks, Pyrrha!" Nora exclaimed, disappearing in a cloud of smoke out of the room.

Looking back at the bed, Pyrrha stared for a few seconds at the spot Nora was just occupying. ' _Why did I have to get the crazy one as my roommate?_ '

* * *

"Okay, so that goes there." Ren said as he looked at an instruction booklet on building a beginner's, wooden bow, though he would glance at the door from time to time, hoping Jaune wouldn't try to open it. "Good, he shouldn't be back for awhile. Velvet did say that they would be studying for the night." The boy with the pink strand looked down at his partially completed bow and nodded to himself, taking in the craftsmanship. That wasn't going to last long though, since he heard someone rattling the locked doorknob trying to open up the door, followed by a series of rapid thumps against it. "Nora...didn't I tell you before to not hit the door so many times?" He called out while putting the bow and instruction book away.

Once everything was away, he opened the door, though as soon as he did, Nora was already in the room bouncing on his bed. "REN I HAS AN IDEA FOR SOMETHING WE CAN DO TOGETHER!"

Ren was a bit nervous that she'd find the bow he was working on, so he had to play it safe at that point. "Okay? Uh, well exactly what is this idea of yours? And if you say something about sex again...don-."

"SKINNY DIPPING IN THE POOL!"

All Ren could do was blink a few times and respond simply, "No."

"Aww, come on!" Nora groaned. "That's a totally great idea!"

"It's the middle of the day, people are going to be around," Ren explained.

Nora groaned again and bounced a few times on the bed. "Ugh, fine, but I wanna do something today! Pyrrha said I should spend time with you. She's being kinda moody again."

Ren glanced over at where he hid his bow out of worry. "Well, you should give her some space then...and I guess if that means coming over here to spend some time together, I won't complain, but no skinny dipping."

"Fine, no skinny dipping," Nora said, looking towards where Ren was staring. "But you get to tell me what exactly this is that's under your bed." She immediately dropped down onto the floor and started to reach under the bed.

Ren's eyes widened and he attempted to stop her, but it was too late when he saw her pull his bow out.

"Ooh! What is this?! Wait, no, this is a bow. I can see that...but why do you have one?!" Nora quickly turned to face her best friend and held the bow happily in her hand.

"Er...well uh...you see...I uh…" Ren stammered, unable to think of what it was that he wanted to say.

"Everything ok, Ren?" Nora asked, more seriously than she normally was.

Ren sighed and sat down on his bed, looking at the bow in Nora's hand. "I was just...I don't know. I was making the bow because I kind of want to try out archery, but I didn't want anyone to know yet. At least not until I was actually good at it."

Nora gently laid the pieces down and sat on Ren, wrapping her arms around his body to hold herself up. "Renny, what's the real reason you're hiding this?" Nora asked as she nuzzled her face in between his neck and shoulder. "You're normally not the worried one between the two of us. I'm the crazy one after all, don't steal my title."

Ren laid his head down on top of Nora's the way he knew she liked. "My father...he was skilled in archery, at least I think he was. It's hard to remember how good he really was back then, but I know he did like it...and I guess I wanted to see what it was like. Something to remember him more by."

Ren was met with Nora tightening her grip around him, letting him know that she was there for him. A silent gesture that told him she wanted him to let it out, to talk with her about everything that was bothering him.

"I really don't have a problem with you knowing, but please don't let the others-." He was silenced when Nora pushed him on the bed and she looked directly at him.

"Outside. You're gonna use your new bow and I'm gonna watch!" Nora giggled and planted a kiss on his cheek. "And trust me, none of our friends will be out where we're going."

Ren was taken aback at the suddenness and felt his not-girlfriend push herself off of him. "Nora…" He looked at her for a few moments and after glancing at the bow, then back at Nora, bringing a smile to his face. "You know, I should actually finish building the bow before using it." He replied with a chuckle.

"I think a bow being carried out to where we are going is gonna be easily noticeable. Unless that thing can fold down into something like a pen," Nora explained. "WAIT, what if we each came up with weapons that could turn into something else?! We'd be rich! I could finally make a hammer that can turn into a grenade launcher! It'd be the best idea EVER!"

Ren couldn't help but laugh as he got up and hugged her for a moment, and then pulled back. "Only in some kind of alternate universe. Anyways, lock the door for a bit. I want to get this thing done."

"What about Jaune?" Nora asked. "You're not worried about him coming back to the dorm at any point?"

"He's with Velvet right now."

"Oh?" Nora said as she wiggled her eyebrows. "You think they're, 'studying together'?"

"Is everything sex to you, Nora? If it is...what are we actually about to do outside?" Ren questioned, wanting to get actual confirmation.

"Since when have I led you astray, Renny?" Nora asked.

"I would need a chart the size of a football field to show you the exact amount of times you've led me astray, but I don't have the time, or commitment for that kind of project." Ren joked as he took the bow back after Nora offered it to him.

"Ok, then when was the last time I led you astray?" Nora inquired.

"Need I remind you about the time you got drunk at that house party a while ago and dragged me across town all night long, leaving me to carry you back over my shoulder," Ren explained as he went back to putting together the bow. "I'm pretty sure we're barred from multiple establishments now because of that, by the way."

"You think too much about that boring talk! Now come on and finish up your bow so we can-." Nora felt Ren's hand over her mouth, so she began to say things in her muffled tone.

"Yelling about the thing I literally mentioned to not say to the others is not exactly how you keep a secret." Ren suddenly felt something against his palm and sighed. "Anything for a lick, huh?"

* * *

"How did you find this place, Nora?" Ren asked as they walked into the quarry. The two stood atop a sizeable valley of stone chunks, some sticking out of the ground at odd angles. The walls were shallow, but ran consistently down into the center where it evened out. Along one side of it was a tarp hanging over what looked like an entrance.

"Yang and I found this place when we were bored one day last semester," Nora said as she walked with Ren through the snow above the quarry. "We were just like, let's go exploring, and we did, and we found this place, then we decided to hide some alcohol here, it's over there under that homemade canopy. It's our secret hangout spot. So whenever we say that we're going to the good place, this is what we mean. Feel free to drink while you're here."

Ren looked over and was impressed at the somewhat private area. "This really can work. Okay, well, I guess I can try to hit something around here. Make sure to keep an eye out though. You did say Yang was with you when you found this place, so she might show up for whatever reason." The boy said while preparing himself to use his new bow.

"I'm pretty sure I heard her and Blake getting freaky before we left," Nora explained as she brushed some snow off of a stool that was there. "Besides, Blake doesn't want Yang to drink as much as she does, so she doesn't come out here that much anymore. I lost my drinking buddy." Nora said that last part with a pouty tone.

"I'm sure you'll find a new one in no time, but I don't have to remind you that I don't want you getting drunk all the time, especially in a place out here," Ren looked away for a moment and muttered to himself. "When you're not close to me…"

"Oh relax, I don't get drunk out here," Nora said. "Usually when I came out here, it was to have one or two drinks and let off some steam. Besides, you want me to find a new drinking buddy, why don't you start?" Nora held out a beer bottle for Ren to take, having one for herself.

"How about I try using a bow when I'm sober? Imagine what would happen if I got drunk and fired off an arrow." Ren remarked while setting up some marked foam he found littering the floor.

"You see, that's part of the problem," Nora said. "You're letting ME of all people use their imagination. You know exactly how awesome that can get. But, if you want to be the responsible-"

A flick to the forehead was all that it took to stop her from continuing. "Stay still and let me try this out. Oh and don't suggest the apple on the head shot. I am NOT doing that." Ren said as he set down a quiver of arrows he bought with the bow. Hesitantly, he knocked an arrow back against the drawstring and took aim at his first target.

Ren wasn't born a pro, or even an amateur, so his grip was off, causing him to shake a bit while trying to line up a shot. The boy was starting to sweat a bit and his heart was beating faster. After a few moments, he lowered his bow and sighed.

"Ren?" Nora looked concerned for her closest friend, but waited to see if he was going to respond, or lift his bow back up.

In response, Ren lifted the bow back up and tried to take a shot at the target in front of him. His shot however, went wildly off course and ended up buried in the snow behind the target. "Maybe this wasn't a good idea."

"Wait, you're just going to give up after one shot?" Nora questioned. "Not gonna try again and again until you get better?!"

"Nora…"

"No, you listen to me, Lie Ren," Nora interrupted. "You want to know something, something that I hope to god cheers you up? I had something almost similar happen to me. I went to a shooting range with Jenkins since I told him I wanted to become a cop, and he wanted me to actually shoot a gun so that I knew how it works. The very first time that I shot, want to know what happened? The gun literally kicked back since I didn't hold it properly, smacked me in the face, gave me a black eye, and landed behind me afterwards."

Whenever she brought up her police ideals and inspirations, Ren knew Nora was being serious. "I get that, but this is different...What you'll be doing is something that means...well, something. This is just some hobby that I'm trying to be closer to my father...but he wouldn't even get to see me doing so." He recoiled against the slap he felt against his cheek.

"Does it fucking matter if he can see it or not?! Does it matter if either of our parents can see what we've become? You're doing this so you can have something that allows you to feel connected to your dad, something you're lucky to get, and I wish I could have. So shut up, pick up that bow, and take your next shot, or I swear to god-."

Ren used his bow to poke her on the nose softly to keep her from saying something she might not want to say. He smiled and chuckled at the blush on her face. "Thank you." Ren lifted up his bow again, aiming at his targets. "Nora...I just want you to know, that even if I miss, I'm happy you could be here with me." He released the arrow, but he closed his eyes, not wanting to see if he missed or not. "Did it-."

He was met with Nora slapping him in the butt and a smile on her face. "Next time, you might want to actually look at it when you hit your target," Nora explained. "You keep shooting like that, I might have to reward you later for your hard work."

"Wait, what?" Ren looked over and saw that he managed to hit one of the targets. It wasn't a bullseye, but it was damn near close to the point where he was even shocked with himself. "I-I did that?"

"You certainly did," Nora whispered into his ear. "Now, why don't you keep on shooting, tex? You're getting me all excited over here."

Ren groaned, since he was actually hoping she'd stay in her serious mode for a bit longer. "You really are a bundle of joy and one of the biggest moment killers I know, but I wouldn't want you any other way." He said in a happier tone than he had been all day.

Nora skipped back over to where she was sitting and firmly sat herself down. "Same here, Renny." She stuck her tongue out and watched as her best friend took another shot at the targets. " _One day everyone will get to see how amazing you really are, Ren. I promise you that."_

* * *

 **AN: Noble: Hello boys, I'm back!**

 **Shadow: You're welcome. That is all.**

 **Noble: Yes yes, credit to our dear Shadow Nightblade for finally kicking us all in the proverbial (and literal) asses in order to get us back into this.**

 **Shadow: Yeah...it's been what...5 months. Ya'll are lazy...but I am too.**

 **Noble: Well, as long as we all keep kicking each other into doing this, then we should get more of this done, within a reasonable time frame. We shall strive to not be as lazy as we have been recently.**

 **Shadow: So...when do I get paid for reviving this?**

 **Noble: When Angel and I crash your apartment while we're up in your neck of the woods. Sound good?**

 **Shadow: Get off my lawn!**

 **Noble: Easy there Eastwood.**

 **Anyway, hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. If you liked it, then feel free to read some of the other stuff we all have written, and if you want to keep in touch with us, you can follow us on twitter at Legion_205, on patron and twitch, at Legion205, or even join our discord server.**

 **Have a wonderful day!**


	36. Ruby's Crazy Life

"Yang, is there a reason you're pulling me into your room right now? I gotta leave for class in like 10 minutes," Ruby whined as she was dragged into her sister's room and watched as the blonde shut the door behind them. On the bed sat Blake, who was in the middle of reading a book.

"One, you're fine. You're one of the fastest in the group, so I doubt you'll be late. And two, how oblivious can you be...like seriously. I feel like I could break a window behind you and you wouldn't notice." Yang commented.

"Wh-what? What do you mean I'm oblivious?" Ruby questioned.

"You really didn't notice?" Yang asked, giving Ruby a curious look. "Blake, did you notice? Because apparently Ruby failed to notice the sexual tension in the dorms."

"Not getting involved with this one. Now stop messing with her and just say what you wanna tell her." Blake said while not even glancing away from her book.

"Ugh, fine," Yang grumbled before turning back to Ruby. "It's about Pyrrha."

Ruby blushed, not expecting to hear about Pyrrha. "Uh, what about her? Is she okay?"

"Yep, totally oblivious," Yang sighed. "Look, you obviously haven't noticed this, but she has been acting very tense, very grouchy. Like, I'm worried she's gonna go full reaper and become king edgelord."

Ruby rolled her eyes. "About that whole getting to the point thing, Yang. You wanna do that, or are you really trying to get me to answer my own question? If you are," She swung her backpack over her shoulder. "Then I'm leaving." As Ruby was about to walk out, Yang held her back.

"Ruby, just listen to me for a few seconds and it'll all make sense," Yang said. "Look, Pyrrha was upset over the fact that you had plans for Valentine's day a few weeks ago. If you haven't noticed, she's been grouchy ever since then, and I think you can figure out why exactly that is now that I've pointed it out to you."

"I still don't...wait...oh crud." Ruby groaned and tossed her backpack on one of the beds. "I messed up, didn't I?" When she got the nod from her sister, but before Ruby could react, the blonde spoke up about that.

"Partially my fault for 'suggesting' you go hit it up with Weiss-Cream, but still, I would've hoped you had noticed by now," Yang intervened. "Still, there is a way that you can try to make things right."

"And how exactly can I do that? Valentine's day was awhile ago, Yang. At this point she's still grouchy like you said. I doubt she'll wanna see me right now." Ruby said in a distraught tone.

"Well, she did say to me that she was interested in going to a concert," Blake chimed in with a suggestion. "I think she would be more than grateful to you if you surprised her with tickets to that concert. Not like she would say no if you didn't do that, she just wants you to spend time with her alone, this just seems like a good idea."

Ruby thought about that for a moment, smiling softly at the idea. "Well, just as long as she won't have plans on that day, then that may actually work. Problem is money though. I hope I can get enough for the tickets. Actually, is there a certain concert she's wanted to go to?"

"She said something about the band, Halestorm." Yang commented as she reached for her wallet. "As for money for the tickets, I'll spot you on this one since I kinda can take some blame for this. But, don't screw this up, and make things worse, especially since Weiss is involved as well on the other half of this equation."

"Yang, I don't know...I don't really wanna borrow money. If I'm gonna surprise her with this, it should be with money I earned." Ruby said in a sincere tone of how she wanted to handle things with Pyrrha.

"Ruby, if I don't give you the money, mom and dad will give you the money instead," Yang said, glaring at Ruby.

Ruby sighed, since she was already at risk of being late to her class, so she nodded. "Alright, but you know I'm paying you back." She said while picking her backpack up from the bed.

"Whatever, Rubes," Yang mentioned, watching Ruby walk out of the door to her room. "So, Blake, you know how it's my turn to pick date night this week? Well…" Yang said, giving Blake a knowing smirk. "... I know exactly what I'm going to pick for us this week."

Blake slowly closed her book and groaned. "Okay, I'll bite. What is it and how risky on a scale of one to night in jail will it be?"

"No worry for jail time, but let's just say that the pained screams of little children will be the icing on the cake," Yang replied, wiggling her eyebrows for added measure.

Blake sighed as she fell back in her bed. "I have a bad feeling about this one."

* * *

"You somehow made it at the last second yet again, Ruby Rose. Do you want to tell me the newest excuse this time?" Weiss asked as she took her seat.

"Yang gave me a talk, I'm gonna go get tickets to a concert that Pyrrha would enjoy," Ruby said as she flopped down in her seat immediately afterwards. "She was saying that Pyrrha wanted to take me out for Valentine's day."

"Oh...a date with Pyrrha. Well, I...um, you know that would be nice." The white haired student didn't want to outright scream, so she did so internally.

"Thanks!" Ruby said as she pulled out her laptop. "Though, I don't think it's like a date, per se…"

Weiss felt a little bit of elation at that thought.

"...It was kinda like what we did for Valentine's day, you know what I mean?" Ruby continued.

And then Weiss lost that elation almost immediately. "Y-Yeah...I get it." Weiss turned away for a few moments, using the excuse of getting something from her bag to frown and think sadly about what Ruby said.

 _It wasn't a date to her…_

Weiss turned back around with one of her famous fake smiles. "S-So what did you plan on doing today?" She asked, wanting to get away from the subject of dating, or what she thought was dating.

"Well, we have class today, then afterwards I'm gonna search for those tickets that I'll be getting for Pyrrha," Ruby mentioned. "After that, I'll probably just be playing some more overwatch. I'm really getting the hang of Tracer. Then again, I have been getting really good with Mercy as well."

Weiss really wished she didn't mention the concert with Pyrrha, but there wasn't much she could say to avoid that. "Ah, yes...that game. I suppose that is something you and Yang continue to play constantly."

"You would have fun with it," Ruby commented. "I think you would do good as Mei, or Widowmaker. Maybe Reinhardt."

"No."

"Really?"

"Correct."

"Darnit," Ruby grumbled, admitting defeat and looking up at the front of the class as it began.

There was a slap as the professor dropped a large stack of papers on the desk in front of them, before looking out over the lecture hall with tired eyes. With a thick slavic accent, she spoke to the class as a whole. "Your tests have been completed, I need each of you to come forward at the end of class to collect your paper. I will say, however, that many of you need to correct you studying methods if you hope to pass this class."

Without another word on the tests, she turned on the projector, and began the lecture for the day. "Last week, we began to cover general stoichiometric balancing, and the conservation of mass. This week, we will go more into that, so I hope that you pay attention, or many of you will not survive the next test."

Ruby found herself slowly starting to drift as the teacher droned on in a review of the basics once again. As her eyes started to fall, she felt a sharp jab in her ribs as Weiss quickly took notice. Shooting her a tired glare, Ruby turned her attention back to the projector, giving the presented equations a quick glance over.

"2HgO goes to 2 Hg and 1 O2, 1 Cr2O3 and 3 Mg goes to 2 Cr and 3 MgO, and 4 Al and 3 O2 go to 2 Al2O3," Ruby muttered absentmindedly before letting her eyes fall shut once more.

"Very good Ms. Rose, but in the future, give those around you a chance to look them over first," the teacher called out from the front of the room, making both Ruby and Weiss jump. Ruby simply gave a weary smile, before nodding in apology. "Ms. Schnee, seeing as Ms. Rose has already covered those on the PowerPoint, could you tell me how the equation on the board balances?"

Weiss quickly shook herself to relieve her shock before looking to the board, and gasping at the equation presented there. There was no number present for this one, unlike the ones on the slide show. All it told her was Cu + HNO3 would go to Cu(NO3)2 + NO + H2O. Her mind kicked into overdrive as she began to work out the various parts reaction, trying to figure out what went where. The presence of both NO and NO3 in the product was beginning to cause her a headache when it suddenly clicked, and the numbers fell into place.

"Wouldn't this reaction take 3 moles of copper and 8 moles of nitric acid, and convert it into 3 moles of copper (II) nitrate, 2 of nitric oxide, and 4 moles of water?"

"Excellent work Ms. Schnee. You have read ahead as well. I doubt anyone else here has gone so far." With a quick shuffle of papers, the professor dug through the tests in front of her before pulling out a lone sheet. With a quick scribble, the teacher gave the platinum haired girl a smile. "That deserves some extra credit. In fact, anyone besides Ms. Schnee who can tell me why it is copper (II) instead of just copper also gets extra credit."

"Isn't that because it is accepting 2 electrons?" Ruby chirped in, causing the professor to nod approvingly.

"Exactly. Why do we do it for copper, however?"

"Because it is able to also accept 1 electron, depending on the reaction," Ruby said confidently. There certainly was a benefit to having a chemistry major as a cousin.

"Yes, that is correct."

"Isn't this similar to what happens with titanium?" Weiss added, shooting Ruby a sideways glance.

"Yes, it…"

"And mercury," Ruby cut in, returning the look.

"Correc…"

"Iron does as well." Weiss returned.

"So does chromium." Ruby called out, now turning to face Weiss.

"Nickel," Weiss said simply.

"Manganese."

"Thallium."

"Cobolt!"

"Platinum!"

"Niobium!"

"GOLD!"

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" The teacher finally shouted, drowning out the argument. "Both of you, I appreciate your enthusiasm but both of you are now interrupting my class. See me after you get your tests, I would like to talk to both of you."

Ruby started to sink into her seat, embarrassment reddening her face. Weiss, to her credit, was keeping a steady face, but Ruby noticed Weiss clenching her hands against her skirt repeatedly.

After the class had ended and the pair received their tests, they waited for the professor to speak with them. "Ladies, I do appreciate the enthusiasm, but this got well out of hand today."

"We would like to apologize regarding that," Weiss said. "It was out of line and we won't do it again."

"Please remember to do so," The professor replied. "However, I would like to ask both of you to sign up for tutoring positions, this way you can put all that intelligence you have to good use and help some of my other students with their work."

"That actually sounds like a great idea," Ruby concurred. "It'll be good practice for us. I'll just have to figure out what times work best for me with track, but it shouldn't be a problem."

"It's settled then, you'll act as tutors to your fellow classmates," The professor mentioned, before grabbing her bag and walking towards the door. "Just remember, the next time this happens, I won't be so forgiving."

Ruby and Weiss just watched as the professor walked out of the lecture hall, the roommates both having a quizzical look on their faces. After a few seconds, they both burst out in laughter.

"I can't believe we got in trouble for being too good," Ruby chuckled, holding her stomach during her laughing fit.

"I swear, that never happens to me," Weiss also said as she was wiping her face with her sleeve since she was laughing so hard that she was sweating a bit. "So how did you do on the exam?"

Ruby took a second to get her laughing under control, before looking at the exam she still held in her hands. "I got a 96, you?"

"97."

"Booooo, you cheated!" Ruby joked.

"Would I ever stoop so low as to do something like that?" Weiss rebuked, offended at the very thought of her cheating. She still knew that Ruby was joking though, but decided to play along with the concept.

"Nah, you're too good for something like that," Ruby said. "Anyway, we should probably get going before it gets dark out. You coming?"

"Sure, let's get going," Weiss replied as she walked with her roommate out of the lecture hall.

* * *

"I swear to god, Yang, if you shoot me…"

"Relax, the worst that'll happen is just bruising," Yang replied as she shook her head. "Besides, you're using Ruby's Paintball gun, if anything, that'll hurt anyone else worse than you'll receive, and I'll most likely be on the receiving end of it."

"Good. Why can't we be on the same team again?"

"Where's the fun in that?"

"You're going to be the death of me one of these days."

* * *

 **AN: Noble: PROGRESS!**

 **Shadow: You're welcome...again. I have to get these fucks to write chapters for this again.**

 **Peace: I'm not sure if I should be relieved, or angry you made me relive chemistry.**

 **Noble: You're a chemical engineer. YOU'RE ENTIRE LIFE IS CHEMISTRY YOU FUCK!**

 **Peace: SO IS YOURS, BUT THAT'S CUZ BIOLOGY.**

 **Noble: WE'RE GETTING SIDE-TRACKED AGAIN...WHY DO WE ALWAYS GET SIDE-TRACKED?**

 **Peace: Cuz I have an attention span of a hamster.**

 **Shadow: All I'm gonna say here is this...WRITE MORE! WRITE! WRITE! WRITE! That is all.**

 **Peace: Hey, work is a bitch. 40 hour weeks are not nice for motivation.**

 **Noble: I just started a new job, cut me some slack for a little bit. But in any case, you guys excited for next chapter? Leave us a review telling us what you thought of this chapter (if you want to of course). Also, follow our stories, follow us on twitter, we (occasionally) stream on twitch so follow that, etc. etc. etc. you should know the whole deal by now.**

 **Thanks for tuning in each time we post something, it really does mean a lot to us that you guys all enjoy this story.**

 **Peace: Out.**

 **Noble: *Facepalm***

 **Cmdr: When I edited this I wasn't expecting Peace to use actual chemical/periodic notations…. Sorry if anyone is confused by it, but no amount of editing or rewriting will be able to fix that nightmare.**

 **Noble: Also, Peace wants people to guess the order of how the chapter was written. He wants to know.**

 **TumbleZwei**


	37. Date Night: Paintball

Blake could only stare up at the sign above the doorway, the sign that marked her supposed doom. ' _Yang is seriously going to be the death of me,_ ' She thought to herself, the bright neon sign illuminating the afternoon skies as the sun began to set.

The sign "PAINTBALL" sat above the doorway leading into a building that was shaped like an airplane hangar, one that could fit a blimp inside. Inside through the glass door she could see a rack of weapons on a wall behind the counter. Despite the fact that she was using Ruby's custom paintball gun, Blake knew that those guns were well used.

"I want out." Blake said.

"Nope." Yang replied, wrapping her right arm around Blake's shoulders. "This is the place I

decided on, so this is the place we're going."

"I'll just sit out then." Blake countered.

"That ain't gonna fly either." the blonde said, shooting Blake a sly grin.

"Sup bitches!"

The pair turned towards a new voice approaching them, only to see that Sun and Neptune were at the arena as well. "You guys here for some paintball too?" Neptune asked.

"Yeah?" Yang said, giving the two an obvious look. "Why do you ask?"

"Uh, because it's gonna be awesome," Sun jumped in. "Blake, we all know that you couldn't beat the two of us, Yang, maybe, but you?"

"Yeah, whenever we did this before, you always shied away from it, saying that you didn't want to," Neptune mentioned. "Now that you're here, we get to prove that we're the best around."

Hearing Neptune and Sun boast as much as they did, it sparked something in Blake. She no longer cared about her desire to avoid the pain, she just wanted to kick the crap outta her two old friends.

"If we don't throttle them, I'm cutting you off from fun-times for at least a month," Blake stated to Yang, leaving no room for argument. She then walked up to the counter and got as many paintballs as she could.

"Alright, now that's some good motivation," Yang said, watching Blake go. "Thanks for the help with her, I knew this was a tough sell, but I figured I would get her after a while."

"Eh, no sweat," Neptune mentioned. "The three of us have been friends for a really long time, grew up on the same street together."

"Yeah, Blake was always the most calm and reserved out of the four of us," Sun mentioned.

"Four?" Yang questioned, not knowing what Sun had meant by what he said.

"Dude, you just had to bring him up right now?" Neptune chimed in. "You know what happened, so let's just drop it."

"No, you're telling me what you meant by that?" Yang grumbled.

"Meant by what?" Blake asked as she walked back to the conversation.

"It's nothing," Neptune said immediately, giving a look that said that the topic wasn't going to come up.

"Please, you saying that the three of you had a fourth in your childhood circle, isn't nothing," Yang countered.

Blake glanced between the two guys, though recognized the guilty look Sun gave and shot him a hateful glare. She knew sooner or later it would come up, this was just bad timing. "Guys, don't worry about it," She said, really eager to shoot Sun in the face as much as she could. "I'll tell Yang about it later. For now, I'm gonna shoot you _both_ as many times as I can, because the two of you, are a bunch of jackasses."

"Bring it on, furball," Sun challenged.

"Oh I will, banana-breath," Blake challenged back.

"You think they're gonna kill each other?" Neptune asked Yang.

"I expect a lot of maiming, not death, but maiming." Yang said entertained by the exchanges between the two faunus.

"Maiming, yeah, that sounds about right," Neptune mentioned. "You think that you could keep Blake from killing my boyfriend?"

"No promises bud," Yang replied, patting Neptune on the back.

"You think we should have a bet as to who's gonna land the most shots?" Neptune asked.

"Do you really wanna make that bet? Right now? Right after seeing this display that's in front of us?"

"I'll throw in twenty bucks."

"Need more than that."

"Got some good shit for you that I'll just oh so conveniently leave out in a place where you can grab it."

"Done."

"Are you two ladies done gawking at us?" Sun asked with annoyance lacing in his voice.

"Sorry," Yang said. "Couldn't help with how sexy you two are."

"Flattery isn't going to get you anywhere." Blake replied.

"It's gotten me to a lot of places before, why not now?"

"Shut up, and let's head inside already." Sun said, walking through the door.

Yang was the last one to enter, but they didn't get more than a few steps in before they were greeted. As soon as the person behind the counter saw her, they let out a very deep groan of annoyance.

"Dave! She's back!"

"The blonde girl?" said a voice from the back.

"Yup!"

"You guys miss me?" Yang asked as she walked up to the counter, giving a fist bump to the man standing behind it.

"Every moment you were gone was bliss. Dave is grabbing your gear."

"My gear?" she asked.

A second later, the person named Dave walked out from a doorway with a bright yellow bikini. Upon seeing it, Sun and Neptune burst out into laughter.

"You're shitting me, how do you expect me to wear this?" Yang said eyeing the bikini in question. "It's not even my size."

"We're just fucking with you," Dave replied. "Just remember to actually realize that you've been hit."

"It was one time," Yang yelled back.

"Do you really have that much of a reputation here?" Blake asked, curious as to what was happening.

"Yeah, me and Ruby have kinda been banned from being on the same team as each other, on a count of how good we are together. Then again, it's even worse when my Uncle Qrow is here. Seriously, he's a freaking beast."

"Damn, sounds like a fun time," Neptune chimed in.

"My mom refuses to join in, because she's afraid she'll go full military on everyone here," Yang said. "Come on, let's get registered for the next round."

* * *

Inside the large arena, everyone was preparing for the last outdoor game. People dressed in heavy thick clothing were being filtered into two teams. Blake and Yang were standing along one end, watching as Sun and Neptune were walking towards their side.

Blake got a quick rundown of the rules, and Yang went into further detail as they went to get separated into teams. At the same time, Blake had Yang messed around with some gopro cameras that she had attached to her. She also noticed Sun had some on him as well, and that they were running too, so she wasn't about to let him go around with video of a potential victory. She wanted to ensure that anything that immortalized this beat down came from her end.

Each team was told to head outside and report to their respective ends of the field. Blake and Yang's team were told to head to the far end of the field while Sun and Neptune were starting on the side closest to the arena.

As they walked to their starting point, Blake got a good look at the layout of their playfield. Wooden shacks, stacks of tires, mesh coverings, a few wide open areas, and two buildings on both sides.

"So it's a straightaway with cover everywhere and two kill houses." Blake noted. "So I say we just work our way up the field trying to get picks on them."

Yang stopped dead in her tracks and looked at Blake in utter confusion.

"What?" Blake asked.

"You sounded so… tactical for a second. I thought Ruby was the one I was on a date with, which albeit would be weird, but you sounded a little like her." Yang commented, still a little befuddled.

"She's the one that makes up the plans I guess?" Blake asked.

"Yup. She's always thinking of entry, execution and exit strategies." Yang replied.

"We're playing capture the flag, so we also need to think of those as well." Blake said.

"Or we can stick with your plan and let our teammates rush in there." Yang mentioned.

"Where's the fun in that?" Blake asked.

"If you're not seen it could give you a good line of sight on Sun's crotch." Yang said.

Blake thought for a moment. "Let's go with slow first, since Ruby here has a sniper that I'm borrowing, it'll make things easy. If that doesn't work, we'll help out."

"That's the spirit!"

They got their starting area. Their flag was about as big as Blake's torso, and about as blue as Neptune's hair. So it was easy to spot, which meant that it would be easy to see if someone was running with it.

Blake looked around at the entire team and noticed that everyone was either like them and had semi decked out in military attire or had just thick pants and jackets.

She watched Yang get herself ready, slipping on goggles, a face protector and a thick military style helmet. Her long blonde hair was tied up in a ponytail so that her hair wasn't flying all over the place as they ran through the field.

Blake knew one thing: if Yang had a single paintball hit her hair, the person that fired it would have hell to pay.

A referee at the center of field shouted through a megaphone. "10 SECONDS!"

Gripping the handle of her paintball gun, she heard the air horn ring through the field. Around Blake, other paintballers spread out wide, heading to each part of the field to give them a strategic advantage.

Blake and Yang ran down the center with two other paintballers. The two of them slid down behind a stack of wood while the other two pressed themselves against a stack of tires.

Seconds after they got into cover, a second air horn rang, signaling that the players were now allowed to open fire.

Paintballs began to hit the cover that they were hiding behind, Blake could see bits of paint chips hit the ground next to her as they continued to pin her and the others down.

"I see three coming down the center, multiple others flanking to our right!" Shouted one of the other paintballers sitting behind the tires.

"The three should be easy." Yang said.

"Looks like they dug themselves in, just like us."

"Which means they'll wait for some of us to push up, then take us out." Blake noted.

"Exactly. Welcome to No Man's Land."

"You a good shot with that?" Asked the other paintballer to Blake, pointing to Ruby's paintball sniper.

"I hope so, I'm borrowing it from her sister." she replied, jabbing her thumb at Yang.

"Well if you two can cover us, we'll head up and see if we can take them out, and if we do then you guys can push, giving our team a good edge."

"Crazy and possibly stupid, but it could work." Yang said. "Have fun being cannon fodder guys!"

"Yeah, what's worse than a few more bruises?" one asked as they got up from the tires and began to sprint up the center.

After a mere twenty feet of sprinting, Blake heard some unexpected CO2 tanks launching paintballs close by.

"Above!" Yang shouted.

She looked up and saw none other than Sun and Neptune standing on top of the building to their right. They fired their paintballs down from above the two other paintballers, hitting the two of them at least three times a piece.

"AH FUCK HIT! HIT! HIT!" they both screamed as they began to make their way back to their respawn.

Yang stood up from the cover and fired her own paintball gun. Launching three colored orbs at the two friends, Sun managed to duck and weave away from the shots, but Neptune was not so lucky, getting hit with all three.

"HIT!" he shouted as he went down off the rooftop. Sun was about to line up a shot on Yang when Blake sprung up as well, firing two shots from her own rifle. Sun dodged both shots and ran off the rooftop after Neptune, completely clean.

"Coward!" Blake shouted, hoping that he could hear her.

"They're acting pretty cocky to go for that kind of play." Yang said. She ducked lower as more paintballs pelted the cover she and Blake were hiding behind.

"And if I know them, when they get cocky, they get sloppy." Blake replied.

"Perfect."

"So what do we do now?" Blake asked.

"We wait." Yang said.

"Until Neptune responds and they try something similar?" Blake replied.

"No. We're pinned down and it might result in a stalemate." As she said that, three more people from their team came into the clearing and began to assist them, sending a wave of paintballs at the other end of the field.

"How much control do we have?" Yang asked one of the others.

"Hell if I know." The guy responded.

"Do we at least have guys in the left house?" she asked.

"We're the one's that were in the left house from the start." he said. "Just got back from respawn." Blake did notice that he had two paint marks on his chest.

"Which means that we're already getting backed into our spawn." Yang noted.

"Yeah, I guess so." he said.

Yang wanted to say something along the lines of wishing that Ruby were here because then she would whip everyone into shape and give some sort of orders and tell everyone the crazy plan that she had. But she kept it to herself, not wanting Blake to think that she wished that their sister was there to intrude on their date.

"Any plans?" Blake asked.

"All I'm getting for plans is retake the left house." she said. "How many were in there?"

"About five of them."

"Which means there shouldn't be that many in the right house, right?"

"Something like that."

"Dear god man, put two and two together. Come on, let's retake the right house."

"Gotcha, we'll cover." said another paintballer

"Count it off!" shouted another.

"Ready?" She asked Blake.

Blake responded with a confident nod, holding her gun while getting ready to make a break for the entrance to the right house on their end.

"Three… Two… One… GO!" Yang shouted as half of the paintballers stood and began to pull their triggers at a rapid pace.

Yang quickly patted Blake on the shoulder before standing herself and sprinting to the cover of the right side house.

Blake and one other paintballer quickly followed her way and entered the house.

"There are three rooms." Yang whispered to Blake. "They're all empty so this place echoes easily."

"We know you're here!" Someone shouted.

"Fuck you!" Yang shouted back. "We're being stealthy!"

The response to Yang was five paintballs hitting the door frame of the entrance to the next room.

"Can't be stealthy if you're enemies know you're there!" They responded.

"We're taking this place for ourselves!" Shouted the random paintballer that joined them.

"We'd like to see you try!"

"Now how do we get in there?" Blake whispered. "Without getting paint splattered all over us."

"I got an idea." said the one paintballer.

He quietly walked over to the wall that separated the two rooms. He looked up at a small opening at the top of the wall.

"You think…?" He asked.

"Can you reach it?" Yang asked. She already knew the answer, the opening in the wall was a good three feet higher than the paintballer.

"No, but one of you can." He sat his paintball gun against the wall and got down on his hands and knees. "Up you go."

"Nice idea." Yang said. "I'll watch the door, Blake, you got this."

"Uh… yeah." Blake replied, walking towards the paintballer who sat on all fours.

"Don't worry, I'll try not to collapse under you."

"Did you just call her fat?" Yang asked.

"W-Wait! U-uh, n-no that, uh, came out wrong, uh f-fuck."

"Yang, drop it," Blake demanded. "You stay still. If I fall over, I'm kicking you."

"I'll do my best." He said, the threat of the kick adding to his strength.

Blake took a step onto the paintballers back. She could feel his spine begin to take a dip as she stepped up.

She managed to get a good stance by placing her left foot on his upper back and her right foot around the area of his tailbone.

Lifting her head up to look through the hole, she spotted two paintballers, each with a band of duct tape around their biceps, showing that they were on the other team. Each of them had their weapons trained on the doorway, waiting for any unlucky soul to walk through and be pelted with paint and covered in welts.

Lifting her rifle up, she slid the barrel through the hole and tried to line up the shot. She couldn't look down the sights exactly so she would have to eye the shot by looking at the position of the barrel and just praying that it would hit. Because of course with her experience the chance that she would hit the shots were about as slim as Jaune getting laid.

* * *

Back at Patch, an aforementioned blond sneezed at random.

"Oh, bless you. That was a little bizarre?" Velvet said, looking up from her set of notes.

"Uh, yeah, thanks. Just a random sneeze I guess."

"Isn't there some superstition that that means you're getting guests soon or something?" she asked.

"I don't know, but that sounds plausible." Jaune said. "Would you wanna be that guest? We can play some Mario Kart after this."

* * *

'Sorry Jaune' she said, knowing that the blond guy should get some more credit. He did try.

"Can you see them?" the paintballer she was using as a stepping stool whispered.

Blake nodded. She was lining up the shot to her best ability. But with every adjustment she doubted herself. This wasn't the same as just aiming down the sights. Even if she could, it still wouldn't be that easy.

'Okay…' she said to herself. 'Here goes nothing.'

She quickly squeezed the trigger and heard the CO2 launch the paintball from the rifle.

Blake closed her eyes, preparing for a paintball to smack her in the mask.

When she opened them, she wanted to both die and laugh.

Looking at the paintballer that she targeted, she was happy to see that her shot had landed.

Right on the poor guy's crotch.

A high pitched squeal could quietly be heard from him. Like the sound of a balloon slowly letting out air.

He dropped to his knees, and then collapsed on the ground. He didn't even have the strength to clasp his hands over his nether region.

The other paintballer who was in the room looked over to his fallen teammate. He could see red paint over his crotch, and thought of the worst instantly.

He got up, ran over to a window and called out.

"STETCHER! WE NEED A MEDIC! CROTCH SHOT!"

It was as he said that three random players from either team ran into the room.

"Woah he got shot right in the dick!" One of them shouted.

"Blake you shot him in the dick!?" Yang asked.

"Who got shot in the dick!?" asked the person Blake was standing on.

"I-I didn't mean to. I-I wasn't aiming there!" Blake began to say, hopping down from his back.

The paintballer stood back up and jogged over to the other room, followed by Blake and Yang.

"Mike! Hey! Mike! You okay!?" One of the paintballers asked, shaking the injured paintballer.

They heard in the distance the sound of two quick air horn blasts, the signal of an emergency stop.

"Damn Blake, I didn't know you had it in you." Yang said.

"Shut up." Blake said, worry wreaking havoc across her mind and body.

Minutes later, a medic and another referee walked in with a stretcher and quickly loaded the injured man and took him away, bringing him into the infirmary. Apparently things like this was really common. Which is why people encourage wearing a cup when playing this sport.

Blake had gone into the infirmary to apologize to the paintballer. He was fine with the outcome. He laughed it off, saying that they both now had great stories to look back on and laugh.

Yang, Sun and Neptune all gave a good laugh as soon as she left the infirmary, all three of them almost keeling over having never seen this happen before.

The match was ruled a draw and the next round would be played on the indoor field

Everyone on Blake's team were fueled by the shot that Blake made and the story of Blake the Ball Buster, which was unfortunately her new nickname.

The other team spent most of their time praying that they wouldn't end up in her sights. Most wishing that they had brought along a cup like other players recommended.

The game type was a deathmatch.

To put it simply, Blake and Yang's team won.

Easily.

After that, Blake had found herself almost out of breath. She had only gotten hit once throughout the entire night.

And she would be lying if she said that Yang didn't freak out when she got hit. At the same time, Yang was asking Blake the entire time if she was alright while getting ready to murder every single one of the members of the other team.

Blake had to remind Yang that this was a game and her getting hit was part of the game.

But other than the few unfortunate parts of the night, Blake would have to admit that she had more fun than she expected to.

"Don't act so high and mighty just because you won that round. We would have won the first one if you didn't hit that dude in the balls." Sun complained as they exited the paintball arena.

"Yeah, I made a mistake. It's not my fault that the paintball went where I didn't want it to go. Besides, they ruled the game as a draw. So neither of us won."

"I still think I won in some way."

"Oh? And how is that Monkey Boy?" Blake asked.

"I don't know, Blake the Ball Buster? Just how is that possible?" Sun asked in a mocking tone.

Blake got up close to Sun and glared so hard as if she was trying to cut his head off with just her stare.

"If you say that at all at school, Sun Wukong, I swear I will make you regret it."

"Just how do you expect to do that?" he asked.

"I'll ask from some help, of course."

Yang suddenly appeared behind Blake, shooting a grin at Sun.

"You think I'm scared of the two of you?" Sun asked.

"What about every other girl from our dorm?" Yang asked with a sweet smile.

Sun had to stop himself before he spoke again. "Okay, yeah no. I don't want to mess with that many crazies." he said, quite literally turning tail and stepping away. "See you guys back at school." he said.

Neptune began to follow, but not before Yang grabbed the collar of the blue haired boy. "I do hope that you did not forget the deal we had."

"Damnit." He said as he reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet and retrieved the amount of money that they agreed on. A crisp clean twenty dollar bill.

"And the care package?" Yang asked.

"I'll text you with a location tomorrow." he said.

"If you put it in a trash can or something else gross I'm going to beat the shit out of you."

"Noted." he said as he began to jog after Sun.

* * *

It was minutes after their departure from the paintball arena, and Blake and Yang were inside of Yang's car, on their way back to campus.

"That was fun." Yang said.

"I would agree." Blake said.

"Did you really enjoy it?" Yang asked, hope filling inside her. She had been second guessing the choice of venue ever since the incident.

"Yeah. There were some things that I won't forget, for good and for bad. But I've always been into doing new things for dates. This one was more out there than others. But it definitely wasn't the weirdest."

"So it was a success?" Yang asked.

"Hmm… Maybe." Blake said, hiding a smile by turning her head to the side.

"Come on! Don't bust my balls!" Yang complained.

"Shut up!" Blake shouted, punching Yang in the shoulder.

"Sorry, sorry. I couldn't help it." Yang replied, shrugging off the punch. "Let's not make this relationship abusive."

"We're gonna get violent if you call me that ever." Blake said, puffing out her cheeks slightly.

Was that… a pout? Yang couldn't help but feel her heart was about to explode. Her jaw hung open as she looked at her girlfriend.

"Yang! Eyes on the road!" Blake shouted, bringing Yang back to reality.

"Whoops!"

* * *

 **AN: Noble: Damn, you really went hard on this Angel.**

 **Angel: The original plan was supposed to be longer… but I decided to end it earlier because not everyone likes 10000 word chapters**

 **Noble: Yeah, that would've been a word cluster fuck if there ever was one. Still, we got some great moments in it. We also had one idea that I had, but it wasn't put in. However, your idea of Blake hitting a nut-shot was a much better idea.**

 **Angel: Rest in Peace, that man's testicles.**

 **Noble: You will not be missed.**

 **Angel: Blake sure didn't.**

 **Noble: Lol.**

 **In any case, I think that went pretty well. Plus, we got setup for later chapters (you guys should remember the care package that Yang is gonna get from Neptune).**

 **Also, this is for our friend Shadow Nightblade.**

 **BOOTY**

 **Angel: Why must you all be this way?**

 **Noble: What, you mean entertaining? Because we can.**

 **Angel: There's a fine line between entertainment and childish.**

 **Noble: There's also a fine line between not listening, and not caring. I'd like to think that I walk that line every day of my life.**

 **Angel: *checks off the reference box***

 **Noble: Anyway, hope you guys enjoyed the chapter, we'll be back soon with the next one, so stay tuned for more.**

 **TumbleZwei**


	38. True Colors

Weiss could just feel the blood pressure in her head skyrocket. Not even lying down on her bed and resting could hold back this unrelenting feeling of frustration that was welling up inside of her. There was nothing that she wanted to do right now, save stare up at the ceiling and completely forget the fact that her roommate was out on a 'date' with one of their dorm mates. Nope, that wasn't what was causing her migraine one bit.

Ok, she had to admit that she was absolutely pissed off by that little series of events. First she was outright told by Ruby that she was going to ask Pyrrha out on a date, then she was there to witness the actual event itself. She could only describe Pyrrha as elated when Ruby told her about the tickets, and overjoyed once Ruby had asked her if they wanted to go together. Weiss wasn't too happy about that, and it was only made worse once Ruby asked Weiss for help with picking out an outfit for her to wear, to a rock concert.

Weiss decided to forgo telling Ruby that it was going to be a severely rainy night that evening, and she honestly didn't feel bad about it.

Not really, she actually did feel bad, but her jealous and vengeful side took over for a moment, and her mind decided not to argue.

With a huff, Weiss decided to get up off of the bed and walk over to the medicine cabinet in the bathroom. She was unhappy, and her headache was only making it worse for her.

' _Seriously, what does she see in Pyrrha?_ ' Weiss thought to herself. ' _Ok, so_ maybe _she's talented, and_ maybe _she's pretty attractive, but does that mean she's Wonder Woman or something? So what if she's like a red-headed bombshell, I'm good looking too, in my own right_.'

Looking at herself in the mirror, Weiss wasn't a big fan of what it was that she saw. ' _Ok, fine, so_ maybe _she's better looking than me, but I'm sure Ruby likes how I look. It's not like Pyrrha's the only attractive one in this weird… relationship… that we have. Wait, why am I thinking this right now? It's only hurting my head even more._ '

Weiss popped open the lid to the tylenol and threw some back. After taking a drink of water to wash it down, she walked out of the bathroom.

And right into Yang's chest.

"If I knew you wanted to feel them, you could've just asked." Yang said while Weiss gasped in surprise and backed away, making the blonde laugh at her white haired friend. "Are you about to explode on me for that one?"

Before Weiss could even think about saying anything, Blake walked over to the two, knowing full well how that confrontation would go if she didn't step in. "Don't start. We literally just got a warning ten minutes ago."

Weiss raised an eyebrow upon hearing that. "A warning for what exactly?"

"What? He was the one who tried to reach for there," Yang said, defending her actions. "I'm sorry that I decided to give him a reminder to keep his hands to himself. It's not my fault it came out a little bit more forcefully than I originally thought."

"You literally kneed that guy in the stomach." Blake dryly replied. "Besides, it's not like you don't have enough cushion there. Weiss probably didn't feel any sort of discomfort when you collided together."

"Eh, good point," Yang conceded before turning back towards Weiss, who was all but lost from their conversation. "So, you look like you got something on your mind."

"I'm not in the mood to talk about it right now, least of all right here where everyone can hear us." Weiss mentioned. "Now if you'll excuse me, I kinda wanna just go lay down." Before Weiss could go any further, Weiss felt Yang pull her back towards them.

"Blake, black bag in the bottom drawer of my desk, could you grab that for me?" Yang said.

"Really, Yang?" Blake questioned. "I don't think Weiss is gonna wanna have any of that."

"I know, but I'm sure Weiss and I will be out there for a while chatting, so I'll bring it with me in case the mood arises."

"What are you talking about, Yang?" Weiss asked.

"Well, you look like you need to rant your head off, and so we're gonna give you the chance to do that," Yang replied with a toothy grin. "And, it's going to be in a place where we will have plenty of privacy. Only Nora and I, and now Ren by association, know of this place. Kinda like our secret lair."

"Even I don't know where it is, but I'm told it's well out of the way," Blake commented.

"It'll be completely private," Yang reassured.

"Ugh, fine, let's go," Weiss relented.

"Not so fast," Yang delayed. "I know you, so I know that you'll want to get into a different change of clothes, ones that you won't mind getting potentially dirty. So go do that, and let me get into something as well, and then we can get on our way, alright?"

"Fine, just hurry up alright," Weiss said.

"As you wish princess. Blake! To our room!"

"Why do I put up with you sometimes?" Blake asked.

"Because I'm amazing, and the sex is great?" Yang replied.

"I'm still here you know, don't need to say anything about this out loud," Weiss said, reminding them of her presence.

"Right, grabbing my stuff now," Yang quickly stated before jogging into her room.

* * *

"Is there a reason why you dragged me out to this dusty old quarry?" Weiss said as the pair approached their destination.

"Because," Yang began to elaborate. "You need to vent, and this is a pretty isolated area that we can just talk about it."

"Then what's in the bag?"

"Oh this?" Yang said, feigning innocence. "Just a little pick-me-up for myself. I would offer some to you, but I doubt you would want any. No offence, but you can be pretty goody goody sometimes. Not that there's anything wrong about that of course."

"Your point, exactly?" Weiss deadpanned.

"Weiss, what is bothering you right now?"

By this point, Yang and Weiss took a seat on two of those collapsible chairs that you would usually see at picnics and camping trips. The chairs were hidden behind a tarp in what could best be described as a cave carved out in the rock. Yang brought out the stuff from her bag, Weiss immediately knowing exactly what it was.

"Where the hell did you get this from?"

"Won it off of a bet with Neptune," Yang said, immediately remembering exactly how that night went. "Let's just say that Blake earned herself a new nickname on that day. You'll have to ask her about it, but let's just say you didn't hear it from me, got it?"

"Ok?" Weiss said as she watched Yang light it up. "So, I'll just have to ask this for what feels like the tenth time, why the hell are we out here?"

Yang let out a cough at the question. "Right, forgot about that for a second," Yang eventually managed to reply, although a bit raspy. "Anyway, something is bothering you right now, and we need to talk about it. Don't try to get out of this, you've seen me at what was pretty much one of my worst moments, I think it'll be fine if you share this with me."

Weiss had to admit that Yang's logic was sound. "Even if it's regarding your sister?"

"Ah, well then that makes a lot of sense," Yang said after taking another hit. She offered it to Weiss, who promptly denied the offer. "Well, since that was kinda my idea in the first place, let me start off by apologizing for my part in this extravagant tale."

"I'm still mad at you for that, but your apology is noted none the less," Weiss admitted.

"However, I'm not gonna take back doing it," Yang staunchly defended. "My first concern is for my sister's happiness, which should be fairly obvious given that she's my sister. But on top of that, I knew that it would also help her relationship with Pyrrha, given that the two haven't been talking to each other for a while."

"What's your point?"

"My point is that I know you have some sort of thing for my sister, and that this 'date' is rubbing you the wrong way."

"You helped with that though," Weiss countered.

"Which I already explained why, because my sister is my main focus in this weird pseudo love triangle you got going on. Look, I know you're mad at me, but please, just talk with me. I know you'll feel better in the end after doing that."

"Really? You want me to talk? You want me to tell you how I feel like I'm being cut into a million tiny pieces, all because of one person whom I feel has become more important to me in a short time than anyone else I know? You want me to explain how hurt I am, how betrayed I feel, knowing that Ruby is off with someone else? You want me to talk about how I feel like I'm not attractive enough for Ruby, or that I'm not talented enough for her, or kind enough for her, and yet Pyrrha is all that and more? What do you want me to talk about? What do you want me to say?"

Weiss' words were punctuated by a booming crack of thunder, and she didn't even realize that she had stood up, practically standing on top of Yang by the time she was done. Despite all of her fury coming out in one swift motion, Yang kept a calm face.

Taking in a deep breath, Yang slowly nodded her head. "Alright, you really do care for my sister. But if you don't believe me when I say this, then that's not my fault. However, you don't notice that Pyrrha looks at her in the same way. She's actually jealous that you got to go on the first date with Ruby. How about that?"

"What are you talking about?"

"I mean, Weiss, that while you may be jealous of Ruby and Pyrrha's relationship, she's just as jealous of your relationship with Ruby. And that's an extremely strong bond that'll be near impossible to break."

Weiss couldn't think of the words to say to this, so she could only watch as Yang stood up and wrapped her in a warm embrace. "I know you care for my sister, and so does Pyrrha, so I'm not gonna try and influence who Ruby picks. But I want you to know that no matter what, you and Ruby will have one of the best relationships possible, much like she'll have one of the best relationships with Pyrrha possible. No matter what decision she might make.."

Hearing this, Weiss kinda just melted into the embrace and felt herself relax, the musky smell of weed punctuating the air. "Thank you, Yang."

"No problem," Yang said as she let go of the embrace and looked upon Weiss' face.

A crack of thunder echoed around them, ruining their intimate bonding moment as a downpour started to fall outside.

"Well, at least we have a roof over our heads," Yang commented. "Might as well enjoy listening to the sounds of the rain, it'll probably help with that headache of yours."

"That actually sounds lovely right about now."

"You sure you don't want a hit," Yang asked once more. "I'm sure you'll feel better afterwards."

"I'll think about it, but don't get your hopes up, alright?" Weiss answered.

"Good enough for me," Yang conceded, before returning to her seat and enjoying the scene around them.

* * *

Ruby had to admit that this date wasn't going to plan. She hadn't expected it to be an outdoor venue, and the large crowd wasn't doing much to help her nerves. There was very obvious signs of smoke, alcohol, and some hardcore drugs all around the red paired duo, and Ruby was getting nervous.

That was before it started to rain, hard.

Ruby hadn't expected it to downpour, and she was absolutely sure Pyrrha was miserable during the show. It was nothing like she had planned, nothing like she had thought it would be. Ruby was expecting it to be a normal concert, maybe a bit loud, but nothing worse than that.

In Ruby's mind, this was a nightmare.

Yet Ruby was surprised to see that Pyrrha was enjoying herself beyond anything Ruby could've thought of. It seemed that the rain didn't even phase the event itself, the band not even stopping their show. Ruby didn't expect for Pyrrha to have fun, but low and behold, it actually happened.

Pyrrha even got Ruby into her first mosh pit, which scared the absolute hell out of Ruby the first time they were in it together. Still, Pyrrha promised that she would stick by Ruby the entire time, and she stayed true to her word. Pyrrha kept her hand intertwined with Ruby's the entire time, the much smaller girl noticing that Pyrrha's cheeks got red during that moment. She wasn't sure whether it was because of all the energy in the crowd, or if there was something else that was causing it.

It was late at night by the time the two of them started to leave the venue. "Man, that was incredible," Pyrrha said, sounding as if she had lost her voice during the event. "I'm so glad that you were able to come out with me!"

"This was nothing like I expected it to be," Ruby admitted. "I'm pretty sure I'll be bruised from that elbow I took to the head earlier though."

"When we get back to the room, I'll help you with all of that stuff, alright?" Pyrrha offered.

"Sounds good," Ruby said as they arrived at Pyrrha's car. "So now what? We're soaked to the bone, and I don't want to get the inside of your car wet."

"I got some blankets we can sit on for the ride back," Pyrrha mentioned, popping open the trunk and walking over to pull out the blankets. "Does that sound good?"

"You really thought of everything, didn't you?"

"One of those things you just keep on hand for moments like this," Pyrrha admitted as she handed Ruby her blanket and placed hers on the seat. "So, other than the potential bruise on your face, how did you like the concert?"

Ruby finally got into Pyrrha's car and noticed how much quieter it had gotten. "I'm surprised that-" Ruby just realized how far gone her voice was after hearing herself in a quieter environment. "Well, scratch that, looks like I did lose my voice."

"I would say that if you hadn't lost your voice, I'd be either impressed, or I'd be worried that you didn't enjoy yourself out there," Pyrrha mentioned, starting the engine to her car. "You did enjoy the show right?"

"I will admit I wasn't expecting it to be as fun as it turned out to be, so that's a good thing," Ruby admitted. "Did you enjoy it?"

"Of course I did," Pyrrha mentioned. "I think that if I came by myself it wouldn't have been as fun, so, thanks for inviting me out here with you."

"No problem."

"So, umm… I was wondering if…" Pyrrha nervously brushed a strand of hair behind her ear," if there was anything else in particular that you umm…" She couldn't finish her thought before Ruby cut in.?"

"Uh, are you ok?" Ruby asked, confused by Pyrrha's lack of grace or confidence in that moment.

Pyrrha sighed as they waited in the traffic that was surrounding them. "I just, I'm not good with, you know… relationships…"

"Wait, what do you mean?" Ruby asked, not sure what Pyrrha meant by that.

"I mean, this has been one of the best nights of my life, and I don't want to say anything that'll drive you away."

Silence overtook the car for what felt like an eternity. Ruby didn't know how to respond to this.

"Look, just forget I said anything about that," Pyrrha finally said, putting on a smile in hopes that Ruby would move on from this. "So long as you had a good time, then that's all that matters."

"Pyrrha, do you wanna talk about it?" Ruby asked, just letting her heart speak at the moment. "Because I'm worried that you're bottling it up, and I don't like that."

Pyrrha let out a sigh, her hopes that Ruby would drop the subject dashed. "Look, I've always bottled stuff up, it's just what I do. I've expressed how I felt for people before, and the times that I have, it hasn't ended well, hence why I'm trying to avoid that now. I don't want to lose you as a friend."

"You mean you don't want to talk about it with me?" Ruby asked. "I kinda wanna hear what you have to say."

"Ruby, I appreciate the thought, but for right now, I just wanna let it be," Pyrrha deflected. "Maybe sometime when we aren't coming back from an amazing performance, because right now, I just wanna soak this night in for all it's worth. You understand?"

"Yeah, that sounds like fun."

"So, what did you think of the mosh?" Pyrrha asked, changing the subject.

"How do you manage to not get yourself killed in one of those things?" Ruby inquired, her curiosity overriding all other thoughts.

"It's a deft practice, as well as everyone silently agreeing not to be a total dick to each other," Pyrrha answered as honestly as she could. "If we ever go to another one of these kind of concerts, you'll probably have a better time, knowing what you're getting into of course."

"Yeah, that'll probably be the case," Ruby said. "But yeah, I had a fun night tonight."

"Well, I'm glad you came along with me," Pyrrha mentioned.

"I'm really glad that I did this too," Ruby agreed.

Deep down though, Ruby had a strange fuzzy feeling in her gut that she hadn't felt much before. ' _What is going on right now? What is this feeling?_ '

* * *

 **AN: Noble: I'd like to think that went well.**

 **Angel: That was indeed a… thing. Yeah**

 **Noble: What?**

 **Angel: You know, when the thing happened at that part.**

 **Noble: Is it just because I basically powered this out in the span of like an hour?**

 **Angel: Yeah basically. You were just off to the races as soon as the document was opened.**

 **Noble: I CAN'T HELP IT IF I HAVE INHUMAN HANDS!**

 **Angel: I know how you feel. You're talking to the guy who is called "Machine Gun Keyboard".**

 **Noble: True. But yeah, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. It was a fun one to write, and while we didn't show much of the date itself, I don't think we could've written out exactly how a concert would go.**

 **Thanks for tuning in once more, we appreciate all feedback. Follows, faves, and stuff like that is welcomed, but not required (as it always is), and we hope to see you again!**

 **Angel: Bringing it back! BUDABUPBUDABYE!**

 ***TumbleZwei***


	39. Born to Run

"What do you mean you'll be busy? I thought you'd wanna see me today, sis." Ruby whined after she changed into her track uniform.

Yang sighed, knowing her sister wouldn't let her forget her promise. "Sorry, Ruby, but I got way busier than I thought I'd be. You know that 'managing success' project is gonna take some time to finish up, especially with Neon."

"Oh...that…yeah, good luck with that. I don't think I would wish that on Cardin."

"Oh I would. I'd let that be his own personal hell if I was in charge."

"In charge of what?" Ruby asked, but she knew the answer the moment she stopped questioning it.

"Hell. Thought that was obvious."

Ruby blinked a few times and groaned. "Ugh, yeah, yeah." She pouted at the fact that her own sister wasn't going to be there to watch her compete, especially for the track conference finals. "Are you sure you won't be able to catch a little bit of it? Maybe the end of it at least? My race will be near the end."

"I can try, Ruby, but I can't promise anything. What about the others? They can't all be busy."

"I already checked with Ren and Jaune. Both of them have that project together as well, and I don't think Nora was planning on giving Ren a chance to focus." Saying that didn't help Ruby's mood in the slightest, as it only made her feel more saddened that her friends weren't going to be there. "Wait! What about Weiss, Pyrrha and Velvet? Oh, and Penny too! I'm sure one of them can be there."

Yang shrugged. "Probably, but look, I swear that if I didn't have this project I'd be the first one there, sis. And hey, if someone does manage to get a seat, I'll have them record it, so no slacking off cause your big sister won't be there to see it."

"Should I be offended by this?" Came a new voice, seemingly from nowhere. Ruby jumped in shock as Blake suddenly spoke up from the living room. The raven haired Faunus had been so quiet throughout the day, Ruby had completely forgotten she was there.

"Oh yeah, you totally forgot about Blake there, Ruby. I mean, I wouldn't forget one bit...nope, not at all...even for a second." Seeing Blake crossing her arms made Yang shiver in fear. "Uh, hi?"

"I'll deal with you later," Blake said, giving Yang a playful glare. "I think Weiss is at a fencing practice, and Pyrrha has a soccer workout today. Penny and Velvet went off to find victory drinks after their chemistry exam today as well. Looks like I'm all you've got today."

Blake felt a bit bad to break the news to Ruby, but to her surprise, Ruby pulled her into a tight embrace. When she pulled away, a smile stretched across her face. "Then you're all I need!"

"There ya go. See, now before I head out, Blake, I need you to record her run for me." Yang said to her girlfriend while grabbing her bag from the bed. "Please don't forget. I wanna send mom the recording too after all."

"Shouldn't be too hard," Blake agreed with a shrug. "When does the meet start, anyways?"

"Well, the meet started a couple days ago," Ruby replied sheepishly. "But the final heats for my races are today, and they scheduled them at the end. I'll be running the 400 and the 800 today."

"I thought you were in the 100 as well," Yang said as she made her way to the door.

"Nah," Ruby called back. "I didn't make the cut this year. Oobleck thinks I can make it next year, though."

"Hey, making the final heats during conference your freshman year is nothing to sneeze at. I can't wait to see the recording."

"Like I said, I'll make sure to get it recorded, but what about you and Neon? I thought you told me you'd be done by 3." Blake noted.

"Seeing as I'm working with Neon, yeah not a chance." Yang saw Ruby's smile fade, making her want to reiterate her words. "Uh, well there might be a chance. Heck, if I power through it, I might get done early."

"You? Powering through it? Yeah, I know you really want to try and make me feel better, but I doubt you'd do that, sis." Ruby said in response.

Yang gave her sister an unexpected gasp. "W-What? My own sister is saying such things about me?" Her over dramatic response was just enough to bring Ruby a smile and some laughter.

Blake leaned over and grabbed Yang by the ear, making her yelp in pain. "Enough chit chat. If you go sooner rather than later to deal with that project, you have a better chance at catching the end of the event." After saying that, Blake walked the blonde over to the door and opened it. "Now shoo." She let go of Yang's ear and pushed her out.

All the blonde could do was rub her ear a bit and grumble about how she was overpowered. Ruby couldn't hold back a giggle. "Didn't know you had the strength to pull her towards a door by the ear."

Blake simply shrugged in response. "It doesn't take much to find a weak point to my girlfriend." She said with a grin, though it took Ruby a few moments to get what she meant, making her blush.

"U-Ugh! Why did you have to put that in my mind, Blake?!" Ruby whined, as thoughts of Blake going for Yang's 'weak points' managed to invade her mind. "I'm supposed to be focusing on my run!"

Blake chuckled, more so because she got to mess with Ruby for once. "Sorry, but I couldn't resist. Still, you shouldn't focus on it too much. Yeah, focus on it, but don't get overly worried. It'll stress you out, Ruby."

Ruby sighed, knowing Blake was right, but she still couldn't help but feel nervous about her run. "I know, but I'm… I'm just not sure I'll show everyone my best out there."

Blake flicked Ruby's forehead, making her recoil from the hit. "Doubting yourself? Really, Ruby? That isn't you, and we both know that."

"I-It's not… I mean… " Ruby was at a loss for words while rubbing her forehead from the flick.

"I know you're a bit nervous, and I know not having as many of us there doesn't help you feel better, but I promise that they're all cheering you on, whether they're at the event or not. And remember," Blake held her phone out. "I'll be recording the whole thing, so you have to bring your A-game out there."

With a sly grin, Blake leaned in and added with a whisper, "I can think of at least two others that will want to see it after Yang. I wonder which one I should show first," She finished with a wink.

Ruby felt her cheeks heat up at the thought, before quickly shaking her head and shooting Blake an exaggerated glare. "You know, you are way too good at that."

"I try," Blake returned with a smirk. "Now get going, I'm sure you have plenty to do before the event starts. So go bring one home for Room 205."

"Most people would say Beacon, but I'll try," Ruby replied with an eager nod. "By the way, what time is it?"

* * *

"MISS ROSE, DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT TIME IT IS?!"

Ruby nearly jumped out of her skin at Oobleck's sudden outburst, thinking she had managed to sneak in unseen. She hadn't thought she would get away with being so late, but she hadn't thought he would be waiting for her either.

"Sorry…" Ruby mumbled, shying away from the energetic track coach as she thought up an excuse. "I was… dealing with family things."

"Even if that is the case, you know that you should contact me beforehand. It's fortunate for you that Ms. Belladonna thought far enough ahead to do that for you. I advise that you don't let your sister distract you so badly in the future." Pivoting on his heels, Oobleck spun about, and began to lead the way to the locker rooms. "You only have two events today, both near the end. The important race for you is the 400, but that does not mean you take the 800 easy. You will have about 15 minutes between the two. Not ideal, but hopefully it's enough for you to recover."

Ruby didn't say anything as she jogged to catch up to Oobleck, before breaking stride to walk alongside him. "Why is the 400 bigger for me? I thought I had a better shot at the 800 based on heat times."

"This year, you're the only one to make the final heat for the 400 from Beacon. We need those points if we want to win today. Fortunately for you, Ilia also made the 800, so we have twice the chance to score on that race. If you two can come in as a one-two combo, that would be perfect, but if not, we need the points from the 400 to secure our victory."

Ruby nods to herself, feeling her stomach sink as she realized exactly how much rested on her shoulders. That is, until a steady hand clasped her shoulders. "Relax, Ms. Rose, you may have an issue with managing your time," Oobleck said with a playful glare, "But you have earned your place in those races. Trust yourself. And bring one home."

"Yes, sir!" Ruby said with determination, before muttering under her breath "why does everyone keep saying that?

* * *

 _Deep breaths, Ruby, deep breaths. Everyone will get to see you at your best, and it's all because of Blake._

After she said that to herself, Ruby looked over at where Blake was sitting with her phone out, smiling to herself as she did have the support she wanted, even if it was just one of her friends. The one was all she needed. Ruby bounced out of her stretch and began shaking her legs, trying to loosen up as much as possible.

Blake herself was already recording with her phone, since she didn't want anyone watching the recording to miss a moment. "You've got this." Blake was about to call out, but instead said under her breath, knowing Ruby would hear it on the recording anyways.

"The 800... " Ruby took a deep breath and walked up to her spot. " _I can do this… I can do this."_ Ruby kept repeating to herself in her head, but a quick glance at one of the other runners from the other school. She was tall, tanned skin, with short dark hair tied up in a bun. The girl was a bit intimidating for Ruby, her legs seeming to stretch on forever. Her muscles rippled slightly as the girl went through her own routines. Ruby shook her head and instead focused on the race before her, setting up at the block for a quick practice burst.

 _All there is is the track. All I have to do is run. This is why I'm here. I've been practicing for this all year. This is my moment._

Blake held her phone steady, keeping the zoom and focus on Ruby. She did notice that while her talk with Ruby got her a bit more confident about the race, it was still obvious she was taking a few more deep breaths than the other racers. " _Whatever happens, you earned that spot on the team."_ She kept herself from saying that out loud on the recording.

"Racers, to the starting line," A voice called out, and all the girls around Ruby slowly started making their way back to the starting block.

 _Here we go. I beat most these girls in the earlier heats. I can do it again. Me and Ilia. One-two._

"On your marks!"

Ruby placed her feet on the starter block, moving her hands into position. The noise in the background started to fade out, as everyone began to focus in on the race.

"Set!"

Ruby readied herself, feeling the blood pound in her head. The world faded to black, and the other racers faded into the background. Soon, all there was was Ruby and the starter gun. One beat passed. Then two. And three. Soon, the moments started to run together. No thoughts ran through Ruby's head as she waited for that sound. Waited for the gun.

A bang echoed through the darkness, and without hesitating, Ruby was gone. She had moved so fast that Blake almost fumbled her phone from her hands just to get herself back on Ruby's spot in the race for the recording. She launched herself from the starter block, not even raising her head as she started to run the curve. Her feet pounded against the ground as she came to the first straight away and final looked at the field ahead of her, only to see… nothing. There was no one ahead of her. No one had beat her to the curve. She was in the lead.

Just as Ruby felt the excitement rise in her throat, right up until she heard the feet pounding right beside her. With a slight glance, Ruby quickly noticed that same tall runner right beside her, shooting Ruby a similar glance. They matched each other stride for stride as the runners all started to group up on the inside of the track. Blake also took note of the other runner, thinking about how Ruby would be able to reclaim the first spot again.

Ruby settled into a rhythm, running side by side with the tan girl. Ruby registered the sound of cheering faintly in the background. Most everything was fading into the background as she sprinted around the track, never losing track of the girl along side her. Before she even knew what was happening, she had was rounding the final turn, with that same girl alongside her the entire way.

Ruby felt her legs start to burn as the pounding of her feet echoed in her head. She could feel the other girl right beside her the entire way, neither one of them giving any ground. The finish line was just ahead, yet it seemed so far away. But this was the end. She could see it. And that gave her all she needed. With a final burst of strength, Ruby shifted into her final gear. Her vision blurred as she raced towards the final goal.

Blake was a bit worried for her friend, mostly due to Ruby feeling doubtful of herself beforehand, but she didn't let up on the recording, knowing that if she dropped it at any point, the promise to Ruby would've been broken there and then. She could only watch through the tiny screen as Ruby and some girl from Haven matched her stride for stride. Blake could only hold her breath as they approached the finish line.

The burning had reached Ruby's lungs, but she couldn't stop. She needed to reach that line. Her team needed her. She could do this. She would prove Oobleck right. She would prove her worth. She would…

As the countless thoughts spun through Ruby's head, out of the corner of her eye, she notice something that made her heart sink. Inch by inch, a tall figure slowly pulled forward. Ruby tried everything she could. She lengthened her stride, she leaned forward, she even closed her eyes, but it was no use. She could hear the other girls steady breathing pull away. And she felt the moment that she crossed the finish line, a mere foot separating them.

It was almost an instant thought to move the phone down a bit to avoid showing how Ruby was feeling in the video, but Blake held the focus on her, seeing Ruby panting for breath, while looking heartbroken at losing against the girl from Haven. She didn't even seem to notice as the other girls crossed the finish line, nearly 15 seconds later. In their pure focus on each other, Ruby and the Haven girl had changed the race into a duel of speed. Blake knew that Ruby was going to be beating herself up over it, but instead of sulking, she saw Ruby picking herself up a bit. " _Ruby…"_

'It's fine.' Ruby thought. 'It's fine, it's fine, it's fine.' Ruby repeated the phrase over and over again, trying to convince herself that it really was fine. Ruby and Ilia had still managed to win the two-three spots. They were still in a good position. In moments, she felt an arm drape over her shoulder as Ilia came to stand beside her, the older girl's eyes locked on the Haven girl.

"You did good, Rose." Ilia said softly. "Anyone else, and you would have had that one. Hell, I think you still managed to break the school record."

Ruby smiled weakly and Ilia, before they both made their way to the Beacon tent area.

* * *

" _She still looks pretty determined for the 400… probably got that from her mom, but why am I surprised, seeing how excited Yang can get, Ruby would have a multiplier for determination. I just hope she doesn't get upset if that girl..."_ Blake looked over at the girl from Haven in that moment. " _No, I shouldn't think that way. Ruby got here all on her own. She's got this."_ Blake zoomed in a bit for the recording to see Ruby stretching a bit more before the race began.

Ruby's mind was totally blank as she bounced lightly on her toes. She had barely recovered from the last race. Oobleck had scolded her for putting so much into the race when he specifically had told her to be ready for the 400, but Ruby could see the pride in his eyes. She had managed to smash the previous record by nearly 10 seconds, and only missed out on the conference record because she had lost. She could see his hope for the next three years in his eyes, but first, she had to finish this race.

"On your marks!" The voice rang out again.

Ruby fell into that comfortable position feeling her legs already start to protest at doing this again.

"Set!"

Her body rose into the position without a second thought, and her legs coiled like a snake, ready to strike out. She would not fall behind again.

Blake held her phone tight, prepared to not miss a second of where Ruby would be in the race. She could hear cheers from others in the stands already, mostly cheering on the girl from Haven. Blake shook her head, not focusing on them, but she did one thing before the race began. "Go, Ruby! You can win this!" She screamed out to her friend, hoping she was able to hear that, but even if she didn't, hearing it on the recording would surely bring a smile to Ruby.

The shot rang out, almost sooner than Ruby was ready for. But her body responded instinctively, pressing out and rounding the curve without a hitch. The staggered start did many things, but most importantly, it brought Ruby's vision right on the Haven girl's back. One lane to the outside, the tall girl was just ahead of Ruby as they sprinted through the first straight away. Ruby wasn't sure what guided her, or what egged her on, but she felt her pace pick up at the sight. But no matter how hard she pressed, she didn't gain a foot on the girl. Other runners fell back, and Ruby felt their eyes on her back as she passed one after the other, but she never was able to catch this Haven runner.

The second curve came sooner that she could have ever thought, but once again, her body naturally followed the curve, slightly leaning into the curve. Finally, Ruby felt herself pull alongside her newfound rival as they both entered the final straightaway, already far ahead of any other competition.

"Nobody else is even in this… " Blake said in stunned surprise at how much faster both Ruby and the Haven girl were going. "Yang, when you see this, you better hug the heck out of your sister. I mean, wow, just, how are those two not dead at this point?" Asking that question almost gave her the answer immediately, as the answer was simple. Dedication kept them going. Blake said it herself. Ruby got here by herself, and while the Haven girl was her opponent, Blake still had to give it to her. The two were going for the gold that day. Before she even realized she was doing it, Blake shouted out, trying to raise her voice over the crowd.

"YOU CAN DO IT, RUBY!"

Ruby was already at her last legs. She was still worn down by the previous race, and the pace that she and the Haven girl were setting couldn't be sustained. But just as she was about to slow down, just as she was about to give in to the pain, Blake's voice cut through the din. Somehow, over the war of the crowd, and the pounding of her heart, Blake managed to make herself heard.

And that was all Ruby needed. The faces of her friend flashed before her eyes. And she remembered one of the last things Blake said. 'Bring one home for Room 205.'

The next few seconds were a blur. Ruby felt her stride lengthen, her mind calm, and the presence at her side slowly fall behind. Moment by moment, the sound of pounding feet faded into the background, until there was only the sound of her breathing reaching her ears. And then she crossed the finish line. And the cheering broke through.

* * *

Blake was one of the first to run down, keeping the recording going and always focusing on Ruby as she was on the podium, accepting the award. "RUBY!" Blake for a split second yelled out to her friend, making the race winner look over.

A grin broke out on Ruby's face, as she waved over to Blake. Pure joy stretched across her face as she tightly gripped the metal around her chest. As the crowd began to break away, Ruby jumped down from the podium, running over to Blake and jumping into a flying hug.

Blake yelped from the impact, almost crashing to the ground, but she managed to hold herself and Ruby up. "Uh… Is this the part of the recording that is fumbled around?"

Still grinning, Ruby positioned her face directly in front of the camera lense and let out a laugh. "I think they'll understand. After all, I'm bringing home a medal!"

"Hey! Ruby I made it after-!" Yang was cut off when she noticed that the celebrations were already going on. "Oh… Well shit."

Ruby reacted without missing a beat, untangling herself from Blake and throwing herself into a distraught Yang. She didn't even mind the look of shock as she actually did bring her sister to the ground. "But you still made it!" Ruby cheered in her ear. It was at this moment, however, that Ruby realized she couldn't get back up.

Blake sighed happily, bringing her phone back up to capture the moment for the sisters, and for all those who supported Ruby. The video came to an end, filming Ruby as she struggled to lift herself off of Yang's laughing form.

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **Shadow: This was gonna be 2k words, but fuck that. We ain't doing that short shit. Oh, and if you guys consider this as a filler, well, yeah it can be seen that way, but hey, more content.**

 **Peace: Man, you know I don't do short. 3k minimum. And don't you call Blake filler.**

 **Shadow: I do what I want!**

 **Peace: That's the problem! It gets in the way of what I want! I wanted to have a rave at the end, but NOOOOOOO, that's "stupid" and "too much work."**

 **Shadow: I said nothing against that! Don't you lie to them!**

 **Peace: THEN WHY AREN'T WE PARTYING?!**

 **Shadow: WE CAN! GET THE DRINKS OUT, BITCH!**

 **Peace: Get them out?! I've been drunk since 4! How else would I be able to come up with this shit?**

 **RUBY AND BLAKE**

 **BLAKE**

 **Blake**

 **blake**

 **blake**

 **blake**

 **FELL IN A LAKE**

 **LAKE**

 **Lake**

 **lake**

 **lake**

 **Lake**

 **WHILE YANG ATE A STEAK**

 **STEAK**

 **Steak**

 **steak**

 **steak**

 **Steak**

 **AND WEISS BURNED CAKE**

 **CAKE**

 **Cake**

 **cake**

 **cake**

 **cake**

 **NORA PLAYED QUAKE**

 **QUAKE**

 **Quake**

 **quake**

 **quake**

 **quake**

 **AND REN FOUGHT A SNAKE**

 **SNAKE**

 **Snake**

 **snake**

 **snake**

 **snake**

 **WHILE PYRRHA SAVED JAUNE FROM A DRAKE**

 **DRAKE**

 **Drake**

 **drake**

 **drake**

 **drake**

 **Angel: . . . What the fuck just happened?**

 **Noble: I don't know. Anyway, stay tuned for more!**


	40. An Artist's Touch

Saturday. A day to take it easy and look back on the week past, or just forget about it entirely like a normal person.

But for too many college students, everyone saw it as an opportunity to get some much needed studying in. After sleeping in until eleven in the morning or later.

After waking up around the usual time, Jaune had already found himself with his face buried in his textbook. But, like everyone on saturday, he couldn't stay one hundred percent focused.

Looking at his textbook, his eyes showed the words slowly morph into one large blur. He rubbed his face and the text was back to it's original boring columns.

Giving a sigh, he leaned back in his chair in front of the desk in his room and looked to the ceiling, seeing if it had any entertainment value whatsoever.

His phone then vibrated, breaking the silence in the room, and startling him to the point where he almost flipped back in his chair. He quickly regained his balance and planted all four legs of his chair back on the ground. He looked behind him and around the room to make sure that nobody saw that.

Ren was out doing some errands and the door to his room was closed, the coast was clear, no embarrassing moments today.

Picking up his phone, he looked at the screen to see that it was a text from Velvet.

 _Doing anything today?_ The text read.

Jaune opened up the chat between them and responded quickly. _Studying. Woo -_-_

A few moments passed before his phone vibrated once more. _I need to do the same XD_

Jaune quickly typed out another message. _Care to suffer together?_

A minute went by and the Faunus girl responded. _An oddly worded request, but I'll accept. Your dorm again?_

 _Yeah._ Jaune typed out. _Nobody's here at the moment. Besides, I don't think your dorms would be cool with a guy and a girl alone in a single._

The phone vibrated again. _Good point. See you in 10?_

 _See you then._ Jaune put his phone down and quickly spun around in his chair.

He stood up, looked down to make sure he was wearing pants - short story but not one that he wanted to go over in his mind again - and confirmed that he was indeed wearing a pair of sweatpants. He grabbed his textbook and notes and tucked them under his arm.

He opened the door and walked out of his room. Looking around, he noticed that there was nobody else in the dorm room. The living area was silent, with the TV off and the couches empty.

Placing his textbook down on the coffee table, he stood for a second to listen for movement in the other rooms. Nothing could be heard from any of them. Which meant that some people were either still sleeping, or everyone was out doing their own thing. Even Zwei was asleep in the corner of the living room, his little fluffy belly rising and falling with every breath he took.

Which meant that it was perfect for studying. Nobody around to distract the two from their responsibilities.

Jaune sat down on the couch and pulled out his phone, surfing the web while he waited for Velvet to show up.

After just under ten minutes passed, there was a knock at the door. Jaune quickly pocketed his phone and went to the door. Opening up, he was met with the sight of a pair of rabbit ears at eye level. Angling his head down, he locked eyes with Velvet. She wore a dark green jacket and what looked to be a tank top. A small bag was over her shoulder that carried her books and notes.

"Wow, you sure did dress up." Velvet commented sarcastically, gesturing at Jaune's lazy look. "You could've, I don't know, thrown on a pair of jeans or something to make it look like you were excited for me coming." She teased.

"Hey." Jaune said. "This just means that I'm comfortable around you. I thought you would be flattered to see me in my 'I just rolled out of bed' look."

"Well, it is a good look, to be fair," Velvet commented, hiding her blush by giving him another quick once over. "A-a-and, I mean, who doesn't like being comfortable?"

Jaune smiled. "Thanks." he said with some pink tint on his face as well. He shook his head and walked away from the doorway. "Come on. Let's get to work." he said as Velvet walked through the door.

He sat down on the couch and Velvet did the same. The two of them quickly went into a comfortable silence as they both opened up their study material.

When studying the two were a good pair. Jaune knew a lot about history because his older sister was his tutor when he was younger and she later became a history professor. Whereas Velvet knew a lot about science just because it's always been one of her strongest subjects.

Each of their best subjects was the other's weakness. In other subjects they were both on even grounds on understanding the material, mostly finishing each other's sentences when discussing.

About a half hour of trading notes and tips went by when a thought crossed Velvet's mind.

"Oh, hey! Did you finish that thing from last week?" she asked.

Jaune looked at her confused for a second then remembered exactly what she was talking about. "Oh, Yeah! Wait there, I'll go grab my computer." he quickly jogged into his room and came back a minute later with his laptop in his arms.

He sat back down on the couch and opened it up.

Velvet placed her books down on the coffee table and scooted a little closer to Jaune so that she could see the screen better, leaning her shoulder comfortably against his.

She watched as Jaune went through folders and documents before he finally found it.

It was breathtaking what she saw. The picture that Jaune had taken of her had been modified so much to the point where it looked like it was out of a fantasy film.

When they had taken the picture last week after another boring session of studying, they decided to lighten up the mood with doing some random things like gaming. At one point they got onto the topic of talking about Jaune's art major, and Velvet immediately latched onto an idea..

" _Look different? Different how?" Jaune asked, confused by the request._

" _I want you to make me look like one of those stereotypical "I-just-met-this-girl-and-she's-perfect" type of scene's from a movie. Ya'know?" Velvet responded._

" _Well, I can do that, but it's a broad topic. I can do a lot with just that request." he said._

" _Please?" she asked, her eyes lighting up and her smile going wide._

 _Jaune couldn't help but blush a little bit. Here was this cute girl in front of him asking for him to make her look even cuter. In fact, he couldn't help but think back to when his sisters started asking him to draw them in a cartoon style or look like a Disney princess._

" _I can do one of two things. Both will involve a picture. I can take the picture and photoshop and edit it a lot, or I can just take the picture and completely redraw you." Jaune informed her._

 _Velvet thought for a moment, tapping her index finger on her chin. "Hmmm… both!" she said simply._

" _Huh? Both?" he asked. "I've never done both. Just one or the other."_

" _Well consider this a challenge, Jaune Arc. You like a challenge, don't you?" she said, pointing a finger in his face._

" _I'm an artist. Challenges are basically our way of life."_

 _Velvet smiled again._

For the most part, Jaune found this to be like any other request that he got from people. Whether it was his family members or old friends from high school.

It was just that when he was doing it, he took a lot more care and time with every line and edit made to the images.

Velvet was still staring at the image even a minute later, not a word being said. When they took the picture, Jaune sat Velvet down in front of the window in their room, it still being sunny outside. He then told her to open her palm in front of her, and for her to imagine something she liked being held there. The window was open, letting the cool breeze inside as Jaune lined up the shot from the side, trying to get a profile view.

The result after all the edits was incredible. The sun's rays coming through the window had her surrounded, almost bathed in sunlight. A stunningly white, single flower was in her hair, just to the side of her right rabbit ear. Her flawless skin glowed in the sunlight, almost made her look like she was a doll, so smooth and round, yet still very natural. . Her eyes look like they had stars dancing inside of them, the detail making her think the still image was actually twinkling and shining. The thing about the image that brought it all together was the object that Jaune had placed in her palm. It was a small bird that was no bigger than the size of her closed fist. She was even able to identify the bird after some thought. It was a Himalayan Bluetail, not a bird native to this area, but still a cute bird nonetheless.

"It's… beautiful!" Velvet said.

"Thanks!" Jaune said. "I-I uh managed to put in quite a bit of time into it. I hope you like it."

"Jaune! Like it? I love it! Nobody has ever done something like this for me."

"Well. It was kinda your request that I did." Jaune clarified.

"But it looks like you took weeks to do this! What about the drawn one?" she asked, even more excited to see it.

"Oh yeah." He opened up another file, showing the other image that he had drawn. It was in the style of a charcoal drawing. It had the same visuals of one but Jaune told her that he did all of his work on a drawing tablet now.

It was the exact same thing as the photoshopped image in the other file. The detail of it was just as amazing, even without the color or the wide arrangement of tools needed to make it.

"Jaune… these look so great. Thank you!" She unconsciously wrapped her arms around him in a hug, unknowingly locking his arms in place. Seconds after she did it she froze in fear. Jaune didn't reciprocate the hug. Did she mess up? She couldn't help but grow a heavy blush to go along with her crippling embarrassment.

Just as quickly as she went into the hug, she forced herself to come out of it, accidentally hitting Jaune's ear with the top of her head. Since he couldn't move his arms to hug her back, he decided to lean his head on top of her's.

She turned away from Jaune, trying to hide her face that was redder than the time she went out into the sun during summer at home without sunscreen. Her mind was panicking, only able to come up with a generic response for the situation.

"Oh, god, s-sorry a-about that." She managed to stutter out.

"N-no. It's fine. I'm glad that you liked it." Jaune said, brushing off his slight embarrassment by rubbing his ear.

"I hope I didn't make you uncomfortable." Velvet said, turning back to Jaune.

"It's alright, Velvet. Really it is." He said with a reassuring smile. "I'm glad that you are comfortable with me at this stage of our relationship."

Velvet froze, her mind began to run rampant with the mention of that one word. Relationship.

Did Jaune just accidentally say relationship instead of friendship?

It had been a mere five months since she got out of her last relationship, and the two of them were pretty serious about it, only eventually breaking it off when they realized that they probably weren't the best for each other. It came as a surprise for Velvet at the time, though she has since realized the situation she was in.

Even so, she didn't want to put herself or anyone else in that position again.

Jaune was always so kind to her. But why? Was he after something?

Was there an alternative motive to his kindness?

Maybe he was just being nice to her to get "close" to her.

Was she overthinking this? Was she being overprotective of herself and reading too far into nothing?

She didn't know, but the darker her thoughts became, the scarier the person next to her seemed to become.

He was simply sitting there, the smile long gone from his face as worry had overtaken it. She watched his lips move.

"Velvet?"

"Uh-I'm here." She said, trying to focus back on the present.

"Is everything ok? You're going pale and shaking." Jaune said, trying to calm down his friend. "Did I say something wrong?"

"Oh, no, but… umm… can I be blunt with you?" Velvet said, looking at the coffee table where their schoolwork was as her hands began to rub together in worry.

"Yes, Velvet. You can tell me anything you want." Jaune said, hoping that sounded comforting

Velvet took a deep sigh to recompose her mind. "Well, Jaune, honestly… when I haven't had a dedicated relationship with a guy, I've never really had close guy friends without… you know…" She looked up at Jaune in hopes that he understood, but the blank stare dashed her hopes. "Without doing them…"

"Oh…" Jaune said, not expecting to hear what she just said. "Oooh." He finally understood the gravity of what she had just said, and the implications of their current situation.

"Yeah." Velvet said, moving her eyes back down to avoid whatever judgment that she expected.

"Umm… I'm sorry… that you were put into that situation… I didn't know." Jaune said.

Velvet's ears perked up at the response, not expecting it. "What do you mean?"

"Oh, umm…" Jaune began, now extremely uncomfortable for being put on the spot for a topic he had no experience in. "I'm sorry that you had to go through that, I mean. I don't know exactly what it was like but it must've been hard."

"Oh, no no no. It was nothing like that." Velvet said, reassuring Jaune. "What I meant was that, more often than not, with my male friends, we'd willingly and consensually do that. And sometimes, we would meet and have a very normal time out. I would be loyal to my boyfriend when I ever had one, and the friends would understand."

"Oh, ok… like a friends with benefits kinda thing?" Jaune asked, still uncomfortable, but trying to be a good friend.

"Well, not really. That's a little more binding I think? It would just be if we were ever in the right place at the right time." Velvet said, trying not to confuse Jaune any more.

"Ok, I think I get it. And you were happy with the situation?" Jaune asked.

"Yep, very much so. It was a good stress reliever for me, and it grew a kind of friendship that's lasted years. I still keep in close contact with most of them, even if most of them are still all the way back in Australia." Velvet said.

"Oh, that's good to hear." Jaune said, keeping his mind focused on the friendship aspect.

"Now that you know this about me, does that make you think less of me?" Velvet asked, the real reason for her hesitation coming to light.

"What? No, of course I don't think less of you for this." Jaune said adamantly, the surest of anything he's been this entire conversation. "You were happy with that situation, and I'm sure you handled it in a really mature way, which I'm sure is more than can be said for a lot of people. Not only that, but who and I to judge you for your actions when I didn't even know you existed while they were happening. I'm sure I've done far worse things than that in the past few years. Not only that, but… doing that kind of activity… shouldn't be frowned upon and people need to be less snobbish about the whole affair, and…"

"Jaune." Velvet said, trying to save him before he started to fall off his rant. "You lost steam when you tried to dance around the word sex and tried to solve it by speaking more proper. I get what you're trying to say."

"Oh, well then… It's still true." Jaune said, still trying to maintain some semblance of integrity.

"And I appreciate hearing you say that." Velvet said.

"I do have a question though." Jaune said, clearing his throat in the hopes it'll stop him from tripping over his words. "What about me in this whole situation."

Velvet's eyes widened a bit at the phrasing. "Oh, are you saying that you want to be involved in a similar situation?" She said, easily sliding her jacket off her arms and discarding it on the floor.

"Wait what? Uh…" Jaune began, though his mouth stopped moving, hanging ajar.

It was then that Velvet brought her hands down to the bottom of her tank top and gripped the hem. Slowly, she began to lift it off, her stomach starting to be exposed. More and more skin was exposed before her bra began to be revealed. Jaune even got a decent look at it; black and white with a sort of frilly flowery pattern around the edges.

Quickly, Jaune did something that neither of them expected him to do.

He grabbed the part of the tank top that she had rolled up… and quickly pulled the tank top back down so that she was no longer exposing herself.

They both were still for a few moments, the realization dawning on both of them as Velvet was the first to react, moving back and straightening her shirt.

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry." She said, grabbing her jacket to put it on as well.

"That was… something." Jaune said. Looking at the rabbit girl, he noticed that she began to grab her supplies she brought with her to the study session. "Wait, where're you going?"

"I should probably leave." She said, continuing to put her things away, but in her haste it seemed to take forever.

Jaune leaned forward, trying to get her attention. "Wait, please just hang on a second. Let me say something at least."

Velvet finally got the last item in place, but stayed seated, looking at it as she waited for what Jaune had to say.

"I'm going to make this clear right now. Velvet, I don't want any part of what we have to end. I consider the two of us to be really good friends. And I know you're very hard on yourself, so I want you to stop thinking those bad thoughts now. You didn't do anything wrong. I'm the one at fault here for that terrible phrasing." Velvet turned and opened her mouth to argue, but Jaune cut her off. "But… I don't care about that."

"What?" Velvet said, confused by the phrasing once again.

"What I mean is, while it's something that a lot of guys are after, I am not out for that." Velvet made a face of relief that Jaune mistook for something bad "Velvet, what would it take to show you I'm being honest here?"

"I-I do trust you… I was just being an idiot." She said. "Right after the hug I was thinking a lot of bad stuff about you that was completely unfounded. I thought that you were trying to be kind to get something or that you didn't care about me, but my body. I've been with people like that too."

"You mean Cardin?" Jaune asked, now very defensive.

"There have been others. None as physical, but there have been others." She said in such a sad tone that he felt ill. She didn't elaborate, and Jaune didn't want to ask the question.

"Hey." Jaune said, getting Velvet's attention to keep her from spiraling back into her mind. "Trust me, you're one of the smartest people I know. And one of the kindest. You've been able to help me with a lot in classes without asking for much in return."

"Well that's just us being study partners." Velvet said.

"Well to me it's been a little more than 'just study partners'." Jaune proclaimed. "I feel as if you're a great friend and I enjoy getting to know you, and everyday that I spend with you is just another highlight in the book that is my life."

Velvet looked over at him. "Jaune… that's so sweet." she said.

"Thank god, I thought I went overboard and said too much for a moment there." he said, as it looked like a weight was suddenly lifted off of his shoulders.

"No no." She said. "It was possibly one of the nicest things someone has said to me in a while."

"If it took so long for someone to say that then someone clearly doesn't know you enough." Jaune said defensively.

Velvet couldn't help but laugh at the blonde's words.

"So how about this." Jaune said. "Everything that's happened in the past few minutes, we mention it to nobody."

"I think I can work with that. I guess you're not going to brag to all your guy friends about how you caught a glimpse of your friend's breasts?" she asked.

"No no no." Jaune said. "That's just asking for trouble. Besides, why would I tell people about this? It's not like we're dating... or something." Jaune said as his cheeks lightly turned pink. "It's just… I don't know… we're study partners and I don't want to force you into a situation, not that there would be another situation, but since you're a girl and I'm a guy, not that that means anything either. Where was I going with this?"

"Jaune."

"Oh thank god… Yes, Velvet?"

"Well…" Velvet trailed off.

"W-Well, w-what?" Jaune stuttered out.

"I… I mean we… If you want to… umm…"

"Do I need to take my shirt off this time?" Jaune ask.

Velvet couldn't help but laugh, the entire room settling into a more comfortable atmosphere.

"We could prob..." she said quietly.

"What?" Jaune asked again, not able to hear her quite properly.

Jaune watched as Velvet took a deep breath, seeming to build up courage.

"Would you maybe... want to go grab lunch sometime... like on a date?" she asked.

Jaune was in shock, his mind trying to process the proposition that was just put in front of him. Did Velvet really just ask him out? Why? Why him? She was a knockout in his eyes. Smart. Funny. Cute. Caring. Passionate. He could go on for a while.

"Jaune?" Velvet asked.

"I-I would- uh."

"Now don't you start that up again."

Jaune took a deep breath for himself and looked straight into Velvet's eyes.

"Yes."

* * *

 **Noble: Well, that was some good development! Way to go Angel and Martuna!**

 **Angel: Thanks! Major really helped in some of the areas that felt too rough to me.**

 **Noble: Plus there's what we have after the notes. In any case we have an announcement for everyone.**

 **Angel: Yeah, on September 4th we are going to be doing a "small" stream where we will be on the topic of our writing! During the stream we will be writing a future chapter of the story and will be taking any sort of questions that you may have about writing. We will talk about our methods and how we progress through our stories. Ya'know, helpful pointers.**

 **Noble: Before you ask, we won't be spoiling anything really plot heavy in that chapter, mainly minor things here or there, but we chose that specific chapter for a reason, and it'll fit the purpose of using it for a stream as well.**

 **Angel: The stream will be on our twitch and we will be starting around One O'clock EST! Check with our twitter if you need an update or if anything may change! (Legion_205)**

 **Noble: Well, I think we've rambled on long enough, now, enjoy this omake that MartunaMajor made for funsies!**

 **OMAKE HERE!:**

* * *

Slowly, she began to lift the hem of her tank top, her stomach starting to be exposed.

"Velvet?" Jaune asked, he felt like he might start shaking any moment himself because of his own nerves.

It was at that moment that her bra began to be revealed, Jaune even got a decent look at it. Black and white with a sort of frilly flowery pattern around the edges.

After the shirt was completely removed, Velvet threw it to the side, not caring about the destination as she gave Jaune a seductive look.

The entire situation overwhelmed him, but he had one clear thought it mind. So he pounced.

He dove forward into Velvet's cleavage, gently guiding her down to the couch as he sweetly covered her collarbone above her breasts in loving kisses. His hands ran up her leg, feeling the curve of her ass underneath the tight jeans. He continued to provide kisses, spurred on by Velvet's moans of satisfaction.

He continued guiding his fingers up, the smooth and flawless skin easy to glide by until he reached the clasp of her bra. Jaune expertly unclasped it, moving his hands from her back-

"Jaune! What are you doing!?" A shrill voice shouted, causing Jaune to jerk away from Velvet, standing up to make him look as innocent as possible.

He looked towards the door to see his own mom standing in the doorway, looking appalled at what she just walked into. He quickly looked from his mother to Velvet, still covered with her bra and laying on the sofa, back to his mom. He didn't have a chance to form a response before his mom kept talking.

"I thought I raised you better than this! You invite a guest over to your place, and you're not even wearing pants!" She screamed, pointing at his legs. Jaune looked down and saw that his sweatpants were gone. He knew he had them before. Where did they go!?

He didn't have time to look around before the doors to the other rooms of 205 swung open, seemingly on their own, as every other resident leaned out of the doorway.

"Look, Jaune has no pants!" Nora cried, pointing as well.

"Wow Jaune, I'm not even dumb enough to go out without pants!" Ruby said.

"I knew you were a loser the second I saw you. You caught me with my pants down first, so this is fair punishment." Weiss said

"My god, you _PANT_ be serious, Jaune!" Yang said, turning to high five Blake.

"You said it. And I thought you couldn't be any lamer!" Blake said.

"Jaune, that's a very bold choice, but I don't think that works for you," Pyrrha said.

Jaune finally turned to Ren, who was just shaking his head, a disappointed look on his face.

"Wow, Jaune. I thought we were a good pair together," Velvet said, raising from the couch fully clothed. "I guess you'll be a pantsless nobody forever."

And then, as if on cue, they all pointed and laughed, the sound filling Jaune's mind.

He awoke with a start, a scream dying out in his throat as his mind returned to the real world. He sat up quickly, the dim light showed that he was in his bed, covered in blankets. He removed them quickly to check, but he could feel his onesie comforting him.

He drew in a deep breath, the memories of the dream fading away as he calmed himself. At least he had on pants earlier today.


	41. Cause Baby You're A

"Ruby! Get out here!"

Ruby looked up from packing up her bags. It was the end of the semester, and everyone was in the middle of taking their finals. Weiss was off in the library studying, and some of the others had already gone home for break, Pyrrha and Jaune being among them. Ruby would've liked if they had stayed, especially Pyrrha, but considering how they each had the two longest drives out of everyone, she understood why they left.

Still, Ruby was finished with her finals, and she decided she would take her time with packing up everything. It wasn't like she was in a rush, Yang still had one last final to take, and then they would be leaving. Her parents also came by and grabbed most of the bulky stuff already, so Ruby felt like she was ready to bid her first year of college farewell.

Walking out to the common room, she saw Yang looking at her phone, like she had been plotting and planning something for months now. "Um, why do I get the feeling that something bad is about to happen?"

"Oh dearest sister, doth ye not have faith in thee?" Yang said, feigning innocence.

"Well now I definitely don't with that weird accent," Ruby countered.

Yang came up and wrapped an arm around Ruby's shoulders. "Well, let's just say your sister managed to get us some good old fashioned fun stuff for us to enjoy. Courtesy of a classified source of hers that-"

"What did Sun get you this time?" Ruby morosely asked, almost wishing that she wouldn't get an answer.

"A hell of a lot of fireworks, that's what!" Yang replied, lifting her shades up over her eyes. "Now get your shoes on, we're going to meet with him at a local skate park."

"Oh great, just what I needed right now," Ruby sighed as she was dragged over to her shoes and then subsequently, out the door.

They walked down the hall of the dorms, making their way to the stairwell. They were ten feet from the door when it opened.

"All I'm saying is that if you had more arms you could make more pancakes and- Hey! Where are you two going?" Nora asked as she and Ren came through the door.

"Nowhere." Ruby said.

"Going to set off some fireworks." Yang replied.

Ruby couldn't help but slap her hand against her own face.

"Uh-oh." Ren said.

"FIREWORKS!?" Nora exclaimed, obviously excited by the mere thought of them.

"No." Ruby said.

"Why are you denying this, Ruby?" Yang asked.

"Because if we get caught with them we could get in trouble." Ruby said

"Then why are you coming along with me?" Yang asked.

"Because Dad told us to watch over each other when we're in college. And I don't want to get anybody else in trouble if we do get caught."

"We won't get caught." Yang said as she ruffled Ruby's hair. She turned to Ren and Nora. "So, you guys in?" she asked.

"YES!" Nora responded with gusto.

"I might as well go along to make sure you don't get into trouble yourself." Ren said to Nora.

"Like Yang said, it'll be fiiine." Nora said.

"Yeah, my buddy who got them says that they're cool. Says he got them from some dude who got them from a dude." Yang said.

"That makes me feel so much better about this situation." Ruby said.

"Stop being a nervous-nellie." Yang responded.

"I won't, but I'll still go."

"That's the spirit! Come on, let's go!"

The four then went into the stairwell and into the parking lot where they piled into Yang's car. The drive to the skate park took them no longer than twenty minutes and the sun was already well hidden behind a line of hills nearby.

Yang pulled her car into the gravel parking lot of the skatepark. It was towards the back of an even larger public park, hidden behind some trees and next to a slow moving stream. The park was empty now that the sun had gone down and everything was quiet save for the momentary rush of wind that made the leaves sway in the trees.

Yang turned off her car and everyone exited.

Sitting over at a nearby picnic table, they could see Sun and-

"Neon?" Yang asked.

"Yo, what's up guys?" Sun greeted them.

"Hey, Yang." Neon also greeted.

"What are you doing here? I didn't think you knew Sun." Yang asked.

"Me and Sun went to middle school together with Blake and Neptune. We talk here and there." Neon responded.

"She's also the one who got me this sweet stash." Sun said, picking up a brown cardboard box that was sitting on the other side of the table.

"You didn't tell me that you had connections like this." Yang said to Neon as she came closer to the box.

"Last time we talked we were in the middle of a school project. It's not exactly the place or time to discuss illegal fireworks." Neon countered.

"It's always a good time to discuss illegal fireworks."

"Well then feast your eyes on these bad boys." Neon said as she popped open the top of the box and moved out of the way to give Yang a clear look at the inside.

Yang took one look inside the box. "Lame. They're just roman candles. You call this an "illegal stash"."

"Oops." Neon said. "That's just the cover, The big bangers are hidden under them."

Yang lifted one of the boxes of Roman Candles and immediately spotted the one thing she had hoped to see.

"M80's, nice." she said with a grin. "How about some Black Cat's?"

"A few of them next to the M80's. Keep looking."

Yang moved more boxes and spotted the one thing that was a staple to every collection of fireworks. "Mortars. You sure did get the right stuff."

"Can I set off the mortar?" Nora asked with glee.

"Sure. We got three of them to launch so we can take turns."

Yang let out an excited laugh. "This is gonna be great."

"Do you think we'll be alright here?" Ruby asked.

"What do you mean?" Sun asked.

"Do you think that when we set these off we'll get an immediate response from the cops?"

Nora, Yang, Neon and Sun all looked at each other for a second, before bursting out into a fit of laughter. Ruby just watched as her sister, dorm-mate, and their friends seemed to be uncaring about the whole situation.

"Ah, it'll be fine. If we set anything off, it'll most likely be that someone will bitch about it," Yang replied. "Besides, even if that happens, unless a cop is really close by, they can't do much if we're already gone."

"I don't think Mom's gonna bust you out of trouble again though," Ruby replied. "And I don't want to get arrested for doing this stuff."

"Sheesh, you're really killing the mood right now," Neon stated. "Didn't realize there was an even higher level of chicken."

Even if Yang agreed with Neon to an extent, she didn't like that her sister was being picked on. "Watch it," Yang stated. "That's my little sister, so I'm not gonna put up with her being made fun of, even if she's being overly cautious right now. So you say that again, and I'll give one of these rockets a special test fire."

Neon could only sigh at that. "Right, didn't realize I'd hit a nerve there. Sorry."

"All good," Ruby replied, easing the tension a bit.

"Look, we got these so we can set them off. It's the end of the school year, and we need to have something for you guys to remember it by. If it makes you feel any better, we'll pick a couple of them out now, set them off, and then we'll get the big lights show sometime tonight at a different place," Sun conceded.

"Oh I know just the place too," Yang replied. "But enough of that, let's get our current entertainment out and put them through the ringer. The rest can be put in the trunk of my car for safe keeping in the meantime."

"I'll help you with that, Yang," Ren mentioned.

"Alrighty, pick your poison of the hour," Sun requested, leaving the choice up to Yang.

Yang pulled out one of the smaller boxes that had the image of a simple black feline on the label.

"Ah, Black Cat, good choice, starting off small, build up to the good stuff," Sun commented.

"I always save my best performance for the end," Yang smirked. "Besides, I have a thing for cats."

"Phrasing," Ren mentioned.

"To which one?" Nora asked. "Because remember, I've been on one end of that."

"That was one time," Yang jabbed. "Besides, it wasn't exactly a smart idea since we were both drunk as fuck."

"Yeah can we not bring those times back up?" Ruby requested.

"Yeah let's forget about the outside world for the next few hours and blow shit to high hell." Sun proclaimed.

"Anybody got a match?" Yang asked.

"So are we putting everything else away now and just using that?" Ren asked. "I don't want to be carrying things back and forth from your car all night."

"Right, let's see here," Yang mumbled as she grabbed a couple of different items out of the stack. "Alright, Ruby, hold these. Ren, let's get these to my car."

Before Ruby could say anything, she felt Yang thrust a bunch of fireworks into her arms.

"Why do I have to hold the explosives?" Ruby asked. "I like to watch them explode, not hold them!"

"Because I said so~." Yang said as she walked towards her car.

Yang returned minutes later after stashing the fireworks they weren't using in the trunk of her car.

The only fireworks that remained on the table, and in Ruby's arms, were a few boxes of M80's, Black Cat's, about four sets of Roman Candles, and then three fireworks to set off for the mortar.

All around a good lineup while getting ready for the finale.

"Alright, how do you want to do it?" Sun asked. "Put them on the ground and run or toss em and pray they go far enough to not blast out our eardrums."

"On the ground and run." Neon said. "It's the safest way to do it so that we don't take a hospital trip. Don't want anybody missing any fingers." She said as she wiggled her own fingers that had painted fingernails in a rainbow pattern.

"Just put them down in the center of the bowl." Sun said, pointing towards the center of the skate area.

"I got the first set." Yang said as she slid down the side of the bowl with a group of M80's and Black Cat's tied together on a large fuse.

"What happened to starting out with just the Black Cat's?" Sun asked.

"It wouldn't have been a big enough "BOOM"." Nora said. "Duh."

"What Nora said, and that this is just a lot funner." Yang added.

She placed the set of firecrackers down in the center of the bowl and pull a matchbook out of her pants pocket.

"Brace yourselves, people." Yang said as she struck the match head on the book. The fire instantly lit on the match and she quickly lit the fuse.

The fuse began to lite and spark as she dropped the match and began to make a break for the edge of the bowl. She quickly made it up the side and pulled herself up and turned back just in time for the beginning of the spectacle.

The makeshift extended fuse worked perfectly and the explosives all ignited at the same time. The "POP"s and "BOOM"s echoed throughout the entire area that was surrounding them. Birds flew from the trees that towered above them, flying fast to get away from the unknown sound.

"That was… loud." Ruby said.

"THAT WAS LAME!" Nora shouted, almost as loud as the explosives that was just set off.

"It was a little louder than expected." Sun said.

"Yeah… kinda makes me want to skip the Roman Candles and just got right to desert with the mortar." Neon said.

"Well, let's do it!" Yang said.

Yang walked over to the table and grabbed the large tube that was laying on it's side.

"What color do we want first?" Yang asked. "Blue? Green? Red?"

"Red!" Ruby shouted.

"Of course that's your choice." Sun said whilst shaking his head.

"I thought you didn't want to be a part of this," Yang teased. "Guess you get to light this one off."

"W-w-w-hy? Why me? Why do I have to do it?" Ruby asked, losing all of the enthusiasm that she had just moments ago.

"Because you requested red, Red." Neon said as Yang put the mortar in Ruby's arms.

"You can do it, Ruby." Nora said, encouraging the younger girl.

"Ugh, fine." Ruby said, giving into the peer-pressure. Yang handed her the matchbook and she began to make way for the edge of the bowl.

"Besides," Yang said, "you're a faster runner than us. You can get up the side of the bowl pretty quick."

"She's right you know." Sun agreed.

"Yeah yeah I got it." She said as she slid down the side of the bowl.

Once she got to the center, it was pretty straightforward. Place the ball in the tube, feed the fuse out of the top, light it and run.

She did exactly that and turned towards the other, she could barely see the outlines of them in the night but she knew the general direction of where they were.

"You guys ready?" she asked.

"BRING ON THE BOOM!" Nora shouted once more.

"Okay, here goes." She struck the match on the book and lit the fuse. There were a lot of sparks so she knew that she did it right. She ran for the edge of the bowl and was up the side in seconds. She made it to where the others were standing and was suddenly hiding behind Yang as a shield.

"Scared?" her sister asked.

"I'm silently praying that I didn't mess it up." Ruby responded.

"They're not that hard to get right." Neon said as the FWOOMP of the mortar sounded, indicating that the firework launched.

The firework let out a small trail of sparks as it traveled up and soon came to a slowed pace.

But something was wrong.

Ren was the first to notice. "Isn't it supposed to be a little high-"

BOOOOOM!

The firework exploded so close to the ground that the red orbs of light danced all around them instead of extinguishing before hitting the ground. All around them, car alarms went off like crazy, and the air filled around them with a thin veil of smoke.

Everyone's ears rang and nobody could hear much except for Sun screaming "BAIL BAIL BAIL!"

"THAT WAS AWESOME!~" Nora screamed as she ran towards Yang's car.

Ren had the face of a shell shocked war veteran, like he had seen this somewhere before. With him knowing Nora, that was no shock.

Neon, Sun and Yang looked to be the only ones unfazed by the loud blast, all of them having their sights set right on their vehicles.

Ruby was already at the car, her legs took her there faster than anyone. She already had her hand on the door handle as well, waiting for Yang to unlock the door.

"YANG HURRY UP!" Ruby panicked.

"Jeez, Ruby, calm your tits," Yang said as she opened up the car and let Ren and Nora into the back. Once they were in, the sisters got in and drove off back to the school, with Nora cheering about how exciting that was the entire time.

'Maybe Ruby had the right idea in hiding behind me.' Yang thought to herself.

* * *

Days had passed since then and Ruby was feeling a little bit sad. Not that it was a depressing sad, but the kind of sad you get when you realize that something has come to a close, so you'll miss the moments you had with it.

Her and Yang were the last two people in the dorm room together. Blake had gone back home to Pittsburgh, Ren and Nora had left for Philly right after they got home from setting off the fireworks, and Weiss was driven back up to Buffalo. All that was left were the two sisters, and they were about to head out for the summer.

"Well, Ruby," Yang said as she walked over to the door into Ruby's room. "Looks like this is it. First year is finished up and now we're heading home."

"Yeah, kinda sad to see it go," Ruby said, sighing as she threw the last of her bags over her shoulder. "At least we'll be back here in a few months time."

"I can't believe we still got the ok to stay in this room for the entire rest of our stay here. I just hope the Headmaster doesn't get weird with this 'study' project of his," Yang mentioned. "Ten bucks says you'll be texting Weiss and Pyrrha the entire time we're out for the summer."

Ruby looked up at Yang, who had noticed that she had pulled out her phone and was indeed texting someone. "Whatever."

"Don't worry, you'll be fine without them for a little bit."

"I guess you're right," Ruby sighed as she walked over to the common room. "Time to head home."

"Race you to the car," Yang commented, knowing fully well that she would lose that race. It would be worth it to see Ruby smile though.

"You're on!" Ruby replied, the two of them heading out the door and racing to the car in order to head home.

The drive home didn't take them that long. Being some of the last to leave, they didn't have to worry about much traffic going out of the college. They mostly spent the time doing their worst karaoke that they could, laughing at how ridiculous they sounded to all the random music that came on. It seemed as though time flew by while they drove home, they soon found themselves right where they were looking to be.

With the excitement of being home, the sisters walked into the house together.

"Mom, Dad, we're home!" The pair shouted at the same time.

"Oh it's so good to see you two," Summer said as she walked towards the front door. "You two can tell me which one of you decided to be the one that set those fireworks off at the skatepark."

Immediately Ruby's face dropped, her smile vanished into thin air. She just remembered that Yang still had those fireworks in the trunk of her car.

"Not it!" Yang bellowed out as she bolted up to her room.

Seeing this, Ruby just looked at Yang as the blonde ran off. Then she started to sulk.

"Somedays, I really wanna kill her."

* * *

 **AN: Noble: Well, it certainly been quite a while since we updated this story. But hey, we got some pretty cool news for all of you guys.**

 **Angel: Very fun news! We're gonna be doing a repeat of last year and doing another Extra Life Stream over on our Twitch!**

 **Shadow: I has sadness… Now give me butts… and maybe boobs.**

 **Noble: I was also referring to how many chapters we have in the can for this story, but that was also something I wanted to mention. Since you feel like jumping the gun on this one, wanna explain what we mean by Extra Life?**

 **Angel: Well, since you mislead me like that, ass, I guess I will. Extra Life, as I'm sure most of you know, is an event that brings many streamers together one day of the year for a large 24-hour streaming marathon for charity. We did it last year and raised almost 600 dollars! We would like to hopefully get more this year, and we can only do that with the support of you all!**

 **Noble: THINK OF THE CHILDREN!**

 **Shadow: DON'T IGNORE MY NEEDS!**

 **Angel: *pushes Shadow off screen* GET AWAY FROM THE MIC!**

 **Noble: And we've reached that portion of the AN, so we're gonna call it here! From myself, Noble, and Shadows deep dark desires and needs, thank you-**

 **Angel: We not even gonna discuss the chapter? Ok.**

 **Noble: -for tuning in. Remember that reviews are welcomed and appreciated, but not required. Feel free to follow this story, or any of our stories for that matter if you want, and remember to tune in on November 4th when we take part in the Extra Life event!**

 **(TumbleZwei)**


	42. Roadside Writer's Block

**AN: Before we get started on the chapter, I wanted to remind people that on November 4th 2017, at noon eastern, we will be starting our Extra Life Charity Stream! Please come join us as we raise money for the Children's Miracle Network of Hospitals. We'll be going for 25 hours (daylight savings time), so feel free to tune in at any time while we stream a whole variety of games!**

 **Now onto the real reason you're all here!**

* * *

"Yes, Ruby, I've been fine since we arrived here. And no, I did not sleep like a baby on the trip here. In fact," Weiss glared at her father, who had been snoring up to this point on the trip to Pittsburgh. "Father may have been a bit... on the 'nose flute' side of his sleep on the trip."

Ruby's giggles were heard on the other end of the call. "Well I'm sure it couldn't be worse than Yang's constant fidgeting. I mean, you'd know too. We've all experienced how the other sleeps."

"If you mention one thing about how I sleep, Ruby Rose, I swear-." Weiss blushed when she heard Ruby giggling yet again.

"You are way too easy to tease, Weiss. Still, I'm glad you made it there safe." The way Ruby said her words could only make the white haired girl blush.

"Y-You make it sound like I've gone on some perilous quest." Weiss said as she got up from her chair to get a soda from a vending machine.

"Eh, it's more fun thinking about it like that. Besides, wouldn't you think it's fun too? Instead of going to Pittsburgh, you're fighting off some huge knight or something?" The cheerful side of Ruby showed in her voice.

"Ruby, that sounds utterly ridiculous. Me of all people fighting some giant knight could never happen, not even in some parallel world." After paying for her drink, Weiss grabbed it out of the machine and opened the can, the sound being heard easily from her end.

"Ooh, what flavor did you get?" Ruby asked.

Weiss rolled her eyes and took a sip. "Hmm, it's just grape. Nothing crazy."

"Aww, no fun." Ruby whined, but after hearing someone call her, most likely her sister, she knew she needed to end the call. "Shoot, gotta go, Weiss. Make sure to send me pics and maybe a souvenir."

"Weiss, what are you waiting for? Stop sipping on that crude drink already." Weiss' father called out, making Weiss groan.

"Looks like I need to get going too, Ruby. And I'll do my best to bring you something back. Oh, and please don't send me a text if your sister does anything stupid. I already have father to deal with." Weiss reminded.

"Hehe. Well I'll only send something if anything really major happens, or if I just wanna talk to my favorite white haired…" Ruby trailed off, not knowing what to call her. "Uh, I mean, um, oh, right. Gotta go, bye, Weiss!"

Weiss was taken aback by how Ruby ended the call, and wondered why she trailed off beforehand. "Weiss!" Her father called out yet again.

The Business Major groaned again and put her phone back in her pocket, making sure to mentally prepare herself for the business trip she was going to endure.

* * *

Blake sighed as she sat at her desk, twiddling her pencil back and forth while looking at the blank piece of paper. "Come on, brain. Get words on this paper…" After a few more seconds of nothing, Blake crumpled up the paper and tossed it at the garbage can, making it in. "Well at least I've got that going for me."

Seeing as she couldn't get anything written down, Blake decided to get up and head downstairs. "Blake? Thought you would be spending most of the day up there." Tukson remarked while putting away some recently ordered books.

With a shrug, the Writing Major shook her head. "It's one of those off days for me I guess. Gonna take a walk to clear my head, so I might be back a bit later to hide out in my writing cave."

"Well you know what they say, a good book can get the writing spirit back in ya." The bookstore owner said as he got down from the ladder. "And no, that isn't me advertizing."

Blake chuckled a bit at that and grabbed her jacket. "It wouldn't be the first time you tried getting me to buy a book if you were."

"Hey, you know that last one you read was a good one. Can't blame me for trying to keep my business alive." Tukson said, smiling as he walked over to another stack of books to put away.

"Well I'll be sure to buy one later this week to keep you going for another month." Blake said, stepping out of the bookstore and feeling the fresh air hitting her face. But the moment she stepped out, she was shocked to see a certain white haired Business Major looking annoyed. "Weiss?!"

Weiss gasped, not expecting someone to yell out her name, so she quickly turned and saw her ebony haired friend. "Blake?!" She looked down both roads before running across the street and hugging her friend.

Blake hugged her back, and after a few seconds, she pulled away. "I have no idea how you somehow ended up here of all places, but it's really good to see you, Weiss."

"Likewise, though…" Weiss looked over her shoulder, seeing her dad fuming at their driver. "I'm pretty sure father is going to spend some time torturing that man with his voice."

"What happened?" Blake asked as she looked over her friend.

"It just seems that the driver didn't fill up on gas before he got us from the airport. As far as I can tell, it's not his usual car and he didn't know the gauge was broken. Not that my father cares," Weiss sighed. "For now we're waiting on another car."

"Sheesh, sorry to hear that." Blake said as she cringed at how loud Weiss' dad yelled. "Um, so besides that, how have you been?"

"Bored, but this business trip with father will help. I asked to go along with him for some learning experiences." Weiss explained.

Blake smiled. "I shouldn't be surprised with how dedicated you get on things. But to put up with your dad, well, I'm impressed."

Weiss playfully rolled her eyes. "Oh stop with that. He's not that bad." Weiss cringed like Blake had when he heard her dad stomp his foot on the pavement. "Okay… maybe he can be, but how have you been?"

The Writer Major scratched the back of her head. "I'll just say this. Writer's block is a son of a bitch at times, Weiss."

"That bad?" Weiss asked and got a nod in return. "I'm sorry you're dealing with that, but I'm sure you'll get out of that."

Blake shrugged. "Who knows. I was going to actually take a walk to maybe clear my head, but lo and behold, I run into you and your broken down car."

"First, it's not MY broken down car. And two, maybe you can still go on that walk. The car we're waiting on won't be here for another thirty minutes. Which," Weiss pointed at her father with her thumb, "is why father is a bit more angry than usual."

"Couldn't tell." Blake chuckled. "You sure you'll be able to come with me? I feel like your dad is-."

"Father, can I go for a short walk?" Weiss called out to her dad, who in turn waved her off and nodded, not focusing since he was pissed. "Okay, done. Now let's go, Belladonna."

Blake blinked a few times in astonishment, zoning out for a few seconds. After that, she noticed Weiss walking down the street, so she quickly followed. "Hold on, is anyone able to get a yes out of that man if he's angry when asking him for something?"

"I wish. I would've had that pony I've always wanted." Weiss stated.

"Really?" Blake's monotone and unimpressed voice was filled with disappointment at how her friend wanted a pony.

Weiss faked a gasp. "Blake Belladonna, do you honestly believe I'd ever stoop so low to the generic rich girl want?" The fake scoff followed. "We are no longer friends."

Blake shrugged it off. "Oh well. I can only say that it was an honor having the rare Business Major who has a lot of money already as a friend."

"Ugh, come on, Blake. Do you have to say it like that?" Weiss complained as they both stopped walking.

"Huh?" Blake seemed confused.

"I know it was a joke, but still. I hate when people bring up father's money. They think I can't get somewhere without it." Weiss said, feeling a bit upset.

Blake sighed and patted her shoulder. "Weiss, I wasn't implying that at all. It was a joke, I promise."

Weiss thought about it for a moment and decided not to make a big deal out of it, since she was already lucky enough to run into a friend after the car incident. "Alright… Sorry I got a little too serious there."

"Don't apologize." Blake smiled and looked across the street. "You feel like grabbing a bite to eat?"

Weiss looked over at the place Blake spotted, seeing that it served mostly sandwiches, so she'd go for a light one. "Sounds fine to me."

After the two got inside, they ordered their food and sat at one of the tables. "So, how many times did Ruby call you on the way here?"

"Only… five times. I think? I don't remember if I had to decline one or two." Weiss said as she drank a glass of water that was given to their table. "How many times did Yang call you?"

"Today or this week? Those numbers are very different, trust me." Blake replied.

Weiss chuckled and set the glass down. "I can only assume. So, what has been eating at you with your writer's block? The setting? A character? How to start it?"

"Honestly it could be all of the above. I don't exactly know, but hopefully after heading home I will." Blake explained as their plates were brought over, with Blake's of course having tuna in it, and Weiss' being more on the vegetarian side.

"I can't exactly say I know how it feels to deal with writer's block." Weiss said as she took a bite of her sandwich. After eating that piece, she set the sandwich down. "Your hometown's food makes me full in one bite, Belladonna…"

Blake was already done with half of her sandwich by the time Weiss said that and she lowered it with food still in her mouth, as she had a puzzled look on her face.

Weiss was dumbfounded by how fast her friend ate that and sighed. "Tuna… right."

The Writing Major swallowed the rest of her food in her mouth and wiped up the remains. "Say what you want about food from Pittsburgh, Schnee. I can eat a few of these easily."

"How are you not fat…" Weiss said, looking down at her sandwich. "I don't think I can finish it all…"

Blake started to laugh, making Weiss blush as the two continued to talk about their plans.

About ten minutes went by and after the two girls finished their sandwiches, they headed outside and walked around for a bit longer, wanting to enjoy the fresh air. "Blake, um, may I tell you something?"

"Hmm?" Blake could hear the nervous tone in Weiss' voice. "What's wrong?"

"I'm… I'm nervous. This business trip with father… I don't know." Weiss stopped walking, letting her ponytail flow with the wind. "What if this is too much for me?"

"Too much? Weiss, come on, your major is business." Blake reminded, but when she noticed Weiss biting her lip, she felt a little bad. "Look, I know you're nervous. Hell, I get nervous with my writing. Just look at me today. I'm dealing with writer's block myself, but you told me I can do it."

"Would it be wrong to say this is different…" Weiss trailed off as she lowered her head, feeling bad she even thought about saying such a thing.

"If you think that would upset me, it doesn't. Business and writing, well, yeah they're definitely different for sure." Blake admitted.

"Yeah…" Weiss sighed and sat down on the bench they were near. "Even today, with how the car ended up not having enough gas to get us to where we needed to go, father was so stressed… I don't know if I can handle that."

"But that's just part of life," Blake comforted. "You aren't the first person to run out of gas on the way to a meeting. And you certainly won't be the last."

"It's still hardly a good first impression," Weiss muttered, staring at her feet as she walked. "And it's not just that. The business world is brutal, especially to women. The world pretends to be progressive, but the sad fact remains that it rarely is. My sister once interned in my father's company as a software engineer, before joining the military. She worked for months on a special project, led a massive change in the industry, and helped develop a code that optimized the current operating systems by 7%. And the entire time she worked, people that came in assumed she was the secretary that had left the desk. One time, security even came in and tried to escort her out of the office, because someone had bolted past the checkpoint. _He_ was hiding out in the cafeteria, but that doesn't change the fact that they picked out the only woman in the office as the one that didn't belong."

Blake said nothing, giving Weiss a slight nod to continue.

Weiss raised her gaze to the sky with a sigh before she continued. "Winter was changed by that. Honestly, it's probably what pushed her to service. And I've always been afraid that something like that will happen to me. That something will change me. Something will just drive me to the edge, and make me snap. Like today. Normally, it's a small thing. Running out of gas happens, and as far as I can tell, it's because the driver didn't know he needed to fill the tank because the gauge was broken. But that doesn't change the fact that my father nearly fired the man on the spot."

Blake put her arm around Weiss' shoulder and started walking back up the block they came from. "That also doesn't change the fact that life rarely goes our way. In fact, those are both perfect examples of how it sometimes seems to work against us. But think of your sister now. That event may have changed her outlook on life. And it made her take another look at what she wanted to achieve. Now she's somewhere that, according to you, makes her happier. She's respected by her peers, constantly climbing the ladder, and has a bright future. She wouldn't have gotten there if she allowed that small issue to keep her from looking forward."

Weiss nodded slightly as they came around the block. She found herself thinking back over everything her sister had said, and how she had changed since that day. And while it seemed like something drastic at the time, ever since then, Winter had been more confident in her walk, and always seemed like she belonged. Like she owned whatever room she walked into. Like she…

"Uhhhh, Weiss? Where's your dad?" Blake interrupted Weiss' train of thought, causing the white haired heiress to come to sudden stop. She finally noticed that they had returned to the street that the rental car had broken down on. The driver was even leaning against the hood, glancing at his watch occasionally. But her father was nowhere in sight.

"I don't…" Weiss muttered in response as her head turned on a swivel, searching for her father's trademark white hair. Just as she was about to pull out her scroll and call him, she felt a tug on her sleeve as Blake tried to get her attention.

"How often does your father drink tea with strangers?" Blake asked as she pointed at the bookstore she had been in just thirty minutes earlier.

"What?" Weiss asked in mild shock, spinning around to follow Blake's outstretched finger. She felt her jaw nearly drop as she finally spotted her father across the street, laughing with a man she had never met before while sipping from a cup of tea. Her mind blanked out as her legs began to work on their own, taking her across the street and through the door of the bookstore before she realized exactly what she was doing. And before she could turn around and pretend to browse a section of the store, her father suddenly looked up and waved her over.

"Weiss, perfect timing. Come over here and meet Mr. Schwartz. Fortune smiled upon us today," he said with a wide smile.

"So it has," Mr. Schwartz agreed. "Of all the places to run out of gas, it just so happens to be directly across the street from my favorite book store. I stop in here every day for lunch and tea. It's a pleasure to meet you, Weiss. You're father has told me a lot about you."

Weiss struggled to speak for a moment, her mouth opening and closing a few times, but no words managed to come out. It was at that moment that Blake managed to step up behind her, giving her a subtle elbow in the small of her back. "It's a pleasure to meet you as well, Mr. Schwartz. And I wouldn't believe everything he says about me, he has a tendency to exaggerate when it comes to family." Weiss managed to force out a small smile, then realized that Mr. Schwartz's eyes had drifted behind her, resting on Blake with a light smile. "This is a good friend of mine, Blake Belladonna. She's actually one of my roommates."

Blake stepped out from behind Weiss and gave a slight nod, smiling as she said, "It's good to see you again, Derek. I see you went with the pomegranate green tea today."

Weiss felt her head start to spin as Mr. Schwartz replied back, "I did, you were right, it is a refreshing change of pace. I must say, I appreciate Tukson running all these teas by you first. Your pallet for teas is impeccable."

"You're too kind," Blake replied with a smile. "Weiss here is the true connoisseur. Her collection of teas back at school is something that even you would be jealous of."

"Is that right?" Derek Schwartz said with an intrigued look as his vision fell back on Weiss. "Well, in that case, I have some loose leaf blends back at the office that I would like your opinion on. It can't compare to the magic that Tuskon works in the back, but it's as close as I'm likely to get. In fact, both of you are welcome. Mr. Schnee and I can finish up our business as it brews."

Before either Weiss or Mr. Schnee could reply, Blake smiled slightly but shook her head. "Thank you for the offer, but I'm afraid I can't make it this time. I have my own work that I need to get back to."

"Very well," Mr. Schwartz sighed. "Hopefully sooner rather than later. Cheryl misses her book talks with you."

"I'll keep that in mind."

"Well then," Mr. Schwartz said as he stood up. "The board is waiting, I'm sure. Nothing to worry about though, I'm sure they will love this proposal. Anything that makes them more money, they will agree without a second thought. They don't need to worry about the joint green project hidden underneath. Both of you are welcome to ride with me. I would love to hear some stories Weiss has about Blake. Knowing her, I'm sure there is quite a few."

"We greatly appreciate that," Mr. Schnee replied happily. "It's amazing the connections you can find by simply running out of gas."

The group laughed amongst themselves as they shuffled out of the book store, joking about the strange ways fate worked. Just before they made their way out the door, Weiss suddenly stopped, turned and took three quick strides across the room, pulling Blake into a sudden embrace.

"Thank you," Weiss whispered next to Blake's ear before pulling away with a quick smile. She waved over her shoulder as she left the building, calling out "I'll see you soon, Blake! Good luck with your story!"

Blake smiled as she watched Weiss climb into the back of a car with her father and Mr. Schwartz before turning and heading up the stairs. Tukson watched her go with a grin on his face. He could feel the change in the air. This was when Blake was at her best.

Moments later, Blake was sitting at her desk, a cup of tea set to one side, and the outline of her next project already scribbled out on the sheet of paper at her side. Fingers flew over the keyboard of her laptop, and the first lines of her next project sprung up on her screen. 'Neve Flake had never been so nervous in her life…'

* * *

 **AN:**

 **Shadow: I like getting the Weiss and Blake chapters. I'll give you three guesses on why.**

 **Peace: Is it because they talk about their significant others?**

 **Shadow: Wrong… But I'll give you a cookie for trying. Also this chapter was a bit of an in between kind of chapter. More to show off what the characters do outside of the normal.**

 **Peace: I love cookies! They always make my day… YOU MONSTER, THESE HAVE RAISINS!**

 **Shadow: I never said what kind they'd be. Not sorry, not one bit.**

 **Peace: Ruby does not approve. Maybe she will share her thoughts on- that next time. Or maybe they'll all just get drunk. College has some weird twists.**

 **Shadow: That would be fun… Speaking of getting drunk, you and I might get drunk tomorrow for extra life… I hope you guys come on over to check that nonsense out.**

 **Peace: Yeah, that's not a maybe...**

 **Noble: *off in the distance* MAJOR UNDERSTATEMENT!**

 **Peace: *ignores Noble* But if you want to see the two of us get smashed while playing video games for the children, check us out starting Saturday, November 4th at noon, eastern US time. Until next time, people, this has been Legion205, bringing chaos to your front door. Enjoy yourselves.**


	43. One Drink to Rule them All

As quickly as it came about, summer had come to an end. Classes were to start next week and everyone was back in their dorms. The actual move back in wasn't all that interesting, unlike last year when they found out that it was turning into a co-ed dorm. A year later and they were really happy to be back together, even Weiss.

Everyone exchanged pleasantries as they arrived, short discussions of their summer breaks fluttering around like hot gossip before their few short days of reacquainting themselves to their dorm life came to an end. Though as everyone broke off back into their familiar pairings to unpack, it wasn't long before things became quiet.

Yang quickly thought that things were too boring to start off the year, so she decided it was time to spice things up a bit before the new school year began.

"So I have an idea to help get us settled before classes kick back in." Yang said, looking at her flat mates as they finished unpacking the rest of their belongings. "Pyrrha's first game is next week, and we have all day tomorrow to rest up from this little idea, so it's now or never!"

"What do you have in mind?" Blake asked, tossing her mostly empty bag into her and Yang's room.

"If you suggest another movie marathon, I swear I'll-" Weiss said, getting interrupted before she could finish.

"Even better than a movie marathon, though that is part of it," The physical fitness major continued. "We take part in the Lord of the Rings Drinking Challenge!" She then turned and pointed at Ruby. "You aren't drinking."

"It's not like she hasn't drank with us before, Yang," Jaune quipped, receiving a death glare from Yang in response. "It's true, remember that truth or dare game we did last year?"

"WE DO NOT SPEAK OF THAT! THAT TIME WILL NEVER SEE THE LIGHT OF DAY AGAIN!" Weiss' voice, shrill with indignation, echoed through the flat.

Everyone was leaning away from her as she spoke, fear crawling down their spines. They were all so focused on Weiss' response, no one heard Pyrrha mumble to herself "I wouldn't mind remembering that."

"Alright, we won't talk about it," Nora stated, the first to move afterwards. "But Jaune's point does stand. She did join us that time, and you didn't object then. Either she drinks with us, or we riot!"

"I don't think that's how that works, Nora," Ren chimed in.

"Do I get a say or not? Cause if I do, I'm gonna do it." Ruby said, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Nope, not happening," Yang replied.

"Yes, it is," Ruby rebuked.

"I have an idea," Jaune interrupted. "How many things are on the list to drink off of?"

"Let me check," The lilac eyed woman paused, pulling her phone out of her pocket and bringing up the tab that she had saved it to. "9 official, 12 if you do it hardcore mode."

"Ok, Ruby picks 3 from the list and only drinks during those moments. She doesn't get as smashed as the rest of us, and she still gets to drink. Win-win." Jaune suggested.

"Huh, the village idiot has a great idea," Yang conceded, impressed that Jaune was the one who came up with the idea. "You really are the caboose of our group."

"I am both insulted and grateful for the compliment," Jaune replied. "So, Ruby gets to pick, what 3 are you doing?"

With a sigh Yang handed the phone over to Ruby and she looked through it, debating on each one she would choose. "Ok, 1, 2, and 10."

"Those are?" Weiss asked.

"Close up of the Ring, Panoramic shot, and Aragorn doing something badass," Ruby replied.

Pyrrha's eyes widened as she already knew how this would go. ' _She's screwed._ '

"I, um, wait-" Yang stuttered as she realized which ones her sister had chosen.

"TOO LATE, SHE PICKED, LET'S GET STARTED!" Nora shouted as she dragged everyone over to the couches and chairs. "We are doing the extended edition of each movie, right?"

"What do you think we are? Philistines?" Jaune questioned. "It's the only way to watch them."

"Alright, I'll bite," Weiss groaned. "How long is this going to be?"

"3 movies, each movie is roughly 4 hours a piece," Blake explained. "Considering it might be a good idea to stretch and have breaks in between, I'd say about 14 hours total."

"Oh god, and we're drinking too?" The alabaster haired woman questioned. "Why are we doing this again?"

"I'm trying to do my best Uncle Qrow impression," Yang stated, deciding to roll with the fact that Ruby was going to be just as hammered as the rest of them.

"We… are going… to die… horribly," Weiss commented.

"Probably." Ren agreed solemnly.

Ruby threw her arm around Weiss' shoulders. "Aww, it won't be that bad." Ruby said, trying to comfort her. "Besides, I'll be fine during this since I'm not drinking as much as the rest of you. How bad could it really be?"

* * *

"Right, where are we going?" The movie said right before it cut to black, concluding the first half of the first movie.

Surprisingly, Jaune, Ren, and Yang were the most coherent out of everyone there. Pyrrha was not as bad as the rest, but she was pretty gone. Everyone else was just hammered, especially Ruby.

"Alright, everyone get themselves some water, take a pee break, whatever you need to do," Yang said standing up and watching everyone stumble off to the different corners of the room. Before Jaune could leave however, the taller blonde pulled him aside. "I blame you for this."

"Me, how is this my fault?" Jaune questioned.

"Ruby wouldn't be this drunk if it wasn't for your stupid idea."

"You're right, she'd be worse off if it wasn't for my idea," Jaune argued. "So, you're welcome."

"Yeah well-"

"GET A ROOM YOU TWO!" They both stopped as they heard Pyrrha shouting at what appeared to be Ruby and Weiss, though she had her head leaning back against the couch and was gesturing wildly in their general direction. She didn't continue after that, so when the two blondes turned back to their argument, Jaune took the opportunity to turn to the offensive.

"Well what?" Jaune said, cutting Yang off before she could continue. He was fortunate they were off to the side speaking quietly while everyone else in the room continued to converse between themselves. "You know I'm right. Look at Weiss right now. She's probably in the worst shape of us all. Her and your sister are snuggling up pretty nicely over there. Hell even Pyrrha's so drunk she sounds like she wants to murder someone. How often do we see Pyrrha mad?"

"We don't," Yang said, getting a little bit concerned now that she picked up on that. "Hell, she isn't even an angry drunk, so what's brought this… oh great."

"What?"

"She's probably upset because her crush is snuggling up with Weiss right now in their drunken state," Yang said.

"Seriously, is there anyone in this dorm who isn't a lesbian, or hasn't slept with another woman before?" Jaune commented.

"I would fit that description, Jaune." Ren said, from his position on the couch, Nora sprawled in his lap. Jaune didn't even say anything, instead pointing towards Nora and glaring at his roommate. "Touche."

"No, guys, I'm being serious," Yang said. "I think Pyrrha's about to-"

She was cut off by sudden incoherent yelling before the slamming of the front door to their suite. "Ok maybe I wasn't thinking that, but something bad happened."

"Should we go check on her?" Ren said, before he heard the sound of the front door opening up again and seeing dark red hair running out of the room. "Should we go check on both of them?"

Yang didn't bother saying anything, just going after her sister and her suitemate. She could hear the sounds of Pyrrha getting louder, audibly upset from what she could tell. She arrived just at the tail end, right as Pyrrha turned around and walked away again. "Just leave me alone, if you wanna be with someone, just keep snuggling up to Weiss for all I care."

Before Ruby could go after her, she felt Yang's hand on her shoulder holding her back. "Leave her be, she just needs to cool off."

"But, she's our friend," The short redhead slurred. "Shouldn't we try to help her?"

"I think right now, you are one of the last people she wants to see," Yang said, knowing her sister would forget this whole thing by the morning. "Come on, I think you need to get some sleep."

"Oh, ok," Ruby conceded, visibly upset still at what had happened. "I'm sorry."

"What for?" Yang asked as she walked her sister back to their suite.

"For ruining movie night," She replied, leaning her weight onto her sister as they walked.

"It's not your fault," Yang said, trying to soothe her woes. "Remind me next time I suggest something alcohol related to stop."

"I hope Pyrrha's ok," Ruby said. "I hope Weiss is ok too, she's not doing so well either."

"I'm sure things will be fine in the end," Yang comforted, walking her back through the hall and into the dorm room. Once the two entered, they found Weiss curled up on the floor, leaning against the couch and hiding her head in her knees. Blake was behind her, trying to soothe the heiress by gently rubbing her arm.

"Why did I say that?" Weiss asked, sobriety the furthest thing from her. "She's so mad at me."

"No, Weiss, she's not mad at you, she's mad at me," Ruby said, leaving her sister's comforting hug to go to Weiss' side. "I'll take the blame. I'll let her hate me. I just don't want to ruin the friendship that you and Pyrrha have and it wouldn't be fair to split the entire dorm so let me just-"

"Knock that off this instant" Yang said, interrupting Ruby. "She's not mad at either of you, so get that idea out of your head." When she was met with her sister's confused stare, she gave a short sigh. "Look, this is a conversation you need to have with Pyrrha, but you have to do it when she's calmed down and you're not drunk. So why don't you go to bed and sleep this off."

After a tentative nod, Ruby wobbled her way back to her room alone, though Yang could tell that she was holding back tears. Though her instinct wanted to be there for her, she knew that she needed to do something first.

Yang moved over to the curled up girl on the floor, carefully bringing her to her feet and walking her to the bathroom, knowing she would be spending the next few hours in there.

Blake followed them, whispering to Yang, "I can take care of her if you want to comfort your sister."

Yang shook her head slightly, giving her girlfriend a small smile. "Thank you, but I think Weiss wants to talk to me right now." She opened the door to the bathroom and walked in, giving Blake a worried look. "Could you peek your head into Ruby's room in a minute and make sure she's ok, though?"

Blake nodded her head in reassurance, the two sharing one last smile before the door closed.

"I know she's upset with me," The blue eyed drunk stated as she was knelt down by the toilet. "She's gotta crush on Ruby, just like me."

"Yeah, but I don't think she's upset with you," Yang replied.

"She hates me."

"No, stop thinking that way," Yang said. "I don't know what will come of this, but right now, I'll take care of you. Ok?"

"Ok," Weiss moaned, right before violently purging her stomach.

Sighing, Yang held her friend's hair back as this was going down. "So much for my Uncle Qrow impersonation."

* * *

Pyrrha never imagined she'd end up stopping by here again. She looked up and saw the familiar neon lights of the tattoo parlor she went to before. "I'll show them how much I care, I'm not being ignored anymore." Her drunken state only gave her a false sense of loyalty and devotion, her brain believing she needed to prove her love to Ruby in order to have it be recognized.

After walking into the parlor, her eyes lit up when she saw the design that she had wanted. A fairly large rose with a black lace like pattern surrounding it. It took a couple of hours to complete, but soon she had what she wanted. The process sobered her up quite a bit, and she looked at what she now had in a much clearer state of mind. She saw the rose pattern on her right shoulder blade, the lace stretching down her back, little string like designs going even further down, and part of the lace reached up towards the very base of her neck.

The design was beautiful, Pyrrha couldn't deny that.

She also couldn't deny what it meant now in reality.

The reason she got this tattoo, it was born out of spite and jealousy. A beautiful design, bred from a dark place. She felt conflicted. Should she feel upset, regretful, angry at herself? Pyrrha didn't know what to think of it. This was a part of her now, this reminder that she was selfish and petty, even if it was in a drunken state.

Now that she had sobered up a bit, she was much more coherent as she paid her bill and walked out the door. She slowly meandered her way back to the dorm, her mind racing a mile a minute as she did so.

Would Ruby be upset with her?

How would Weiss react to all this?

Was anyone else around to see her little outburst?

It couldn't be helped. Pyrrha felt regret over her actions. She hated having to deal with this. She hated seeing the two of them lying together like that. It wasn't even that she was upset at one over the other. She was upset with both of them, because she was left out.

Taking a side trip down one of the alleyways, she momentarily paused her journey home in order to lean up against the wall and compose herself. Pyrrha could feel all kinds of emotions well up inside of her. Regret, anger, jealousy, sadness.

Thinking back to what had happened at the dorms, she felt so sick with herself. She didn't watch the movie very long, her attention sliding to the two people sitting on the floor, Ruby's head leaning against Weiss' shoulder and Weiss' arm around Ruby. She missed some of the drinks she was supposed to take, but no one noticed, as everyone's attention was away from her, being ignored as most everyone in the dorm had someone to snuggle up with. Even Jaune, though while Velvet wasn't around they were still together.

She could feel the mood in the room. This was a movie marathon drinking challenge, but the romantic gestures in the room were everywhere. Ren and Nora were huddled on the loveseat and Yang and Blake were snuggled up right next to her. She even watched Jaune texting away on his phone, probably sweet messages to Velvet to make study plans or something. She hated the feeling. Being ignored while there was so much love around her. But none for her. She deserved to be loved, right?

That was the last thought she had before she ended up vomiting the contents of her stomach onto the pavement in the alleyway and coughed up the rest.

The burning in her throat and the harsh thoughts in her head combined together as she started crying.

Pyrrha felt remorse overtake her, her head spinning as the last taste of vomit was spit out of her mouth. "I'm such an idiot," She muttered to herself in her loneliness. "I'm a moron. Why must I keep making mistakes over and over again?"

She moved a few steps away from her bile before leaning against the wall, slowly sliding down as she didn't have the energy or care to keep herself up. "Now I've gone and pushed both of them away," The cinematographer said without even thinking. After giving some thought to her next words, she spoke her mind, needing to get something off of her chest. "I'm in love with Weiss, and with Ruby."

Saying it didn't help her feel any better, but it was good for her that she fully admitted to it now. "I'm in love with both, and can't figure out who I would rather be together with between either of them. Although now I might not even have the chance to make a choice anymore."

* * *

After speaking to herself, Pyrrha continued back up towards the dorms. It took her a good while to get back, but she eventually made it. She stood outside of the room, taking a deep breath to get her nerves back under control. She reached out and tentatively turned the doorknob, glad that she hadn't been locked out in her rush. She noticed Yang sitting on the couch by herself, the blonde mane of hair turning as she opened up the dorm.

"You alright?" Yang asked, not a drop of anger touched her voice, or showed on her face.

"No, not really," Pyrrha replied, her voice raspy from the tears and vomit.

"Do you need anything?" Yang continued asking, this time standing up and walking over to her flatmate.

"Water."

"Alright," Yang smiled, patting Pyrrha's arm before walking to the kitchen to grab the requested item.

Pyrrha followed her over, slowly meandering her way across the common room. It was then that she noticed Weiss, a cup of coffee in her hand as she tried to keep herself awake and focused.

"Pyrrha," Weiss began, "I'm really sorry for what I said earlier."

"Weiss, please-" Pyrrha began, but the apology wouldn't be stopped.

"I didn't mean it at all. You do care about Ruby, and about me. It was a stupid thing to say.

"Weiss!"

I just don't want you to hate Ruby for this. I was the one who said that you didn't care. Don't take it out on Ruby because I was being a jerk."

Pyrrha's hands reached out, grabbing Weiss' shoulders and squeezing. "WEISS STOP!" The sudden shout from her abused throat sent her into a coughing fit. After a few seconds, she accepted the glass of water from Yang with a nod and chugged the whole thing before looking back at Weiss.

She was surprised to find that Weiss was frozen solid, the only part still moving were her hands shaking, the coffee threatening to spill out of the mug. She gave a soft sigh, handing the glass back to Yang and clearing her throat.

"Weiss, please, I understand that you're sorry, and I appreciate that. However, I need a little while to myself. Please." She walked past the still frozen girl, accepting the refilled glass from Yang, and went to her room.

When the door closed, Weiss seemed to be released from her trance. She turned to the counter and set her mug down, her still shaking hands making it difficult. She then wrapped her arms around herself as she stared into the shimmering liquid.

Yang noticed this and reached out for her. "Hey, Weiss…?

As soon as Yang's arm made contact with Weiss, she jumped away, startled by the sudden touch. Yang's arm immediately retracted, though not because she was scared Weiss would hurt her, but that she hurt Weiss.

The heiress' breaths were short and quick, but she quickly regained her composure with a deep breath and a hand on her chest.

"What was that about?" Yang asked, trying to be casual but unable to hide the care in her voice.

Weiss took another deep breath before she responded, "Just some childhood trauma. Nothing to worry about." Yang let the topic slide as Weiss regained her coffee and moved to the TV, flipping it on and turning to something mindless.

Yang loosely followed her, looking between the TV and her suitemate as she took a few gulps of coffee. "Would you like to be left alone as well?"

"No!" Weiss said quickly before she attempted to recompose herself again my clearing her throat. "I mean, I wouldn't hate your company, but if you have more important things to do, then I won't hold you here."

Yang gave the girl a comforting smile before returning to the kitchen, looking through the cabinets, and returning with some snacks. She laid them on the coffee table before taking a seat next to Weiss.

Weiss eyed everything in front of her before grabbing some dried fruit and curling up with them in her lap. The two were quiet for the rest of the night, enjoying the more relaxed atmosphere as their minds winded down.

It wasn't long before Weiss retired to her room, Yang watching as she hesitated at her door. She took a deep breath, grabbed the handle, and opened the door. The light from the main room illuminated the small bedroom, revealing Ruby curled in a ball, sleeping soundly.

She entered her room and closed the door, the familiar night light washing the room with a dull glow. She continued into the room, quickly changing into her nightgown before looking at Ruby once more. Weiss moved closer, gently rubbing her roommate's shoulder causing Ruby to sigh in satisfaction in her sleep.

"I'm sorry for causing you trouble," Weiss whispered to the sleeping form, careful not to wake her up," but I promise I'll make it better."

With a plan in mind, Weiss laid down in her own bed and closed her eyes.

Her thoughts quickly turned to her past, the attempted kidnapping from her own childhood bed causing her eyes to jolt open. Her heart hammered in her chest once again and she peered across at the bed next to her to see Ruby's eyes open and looking at her.

Ruby smiled and brought a hand up to wave.

Weiss followed, matching the movements.

It was something so simple, but it cause Weiss to calm down, her entire body relaxing into a level of comfort she didn't think she would ever achieve. She closed her eyes again, sleep coming far easier knowing that Ruby was there with her.

* * *

 **AN: Noble: Well, once again, our editor went ham, and thank god because this turned out better because of it.**

 **Commander: Too be fair, when we were writing I was coming off of my sixth beer in an hour along with dealing with two broken fingers. Which for the record, to those of you who read my stuff, is why I'm slow with updating right now.**

 **Noble: Seriously though, huge shoutouts to MartunaMajor for being a spectacular editor. I honestly can't say enough about how great he is at that.**

 **ON A DIFFERENT NOTE THOUGH! You think we've beaten them over the head with what we are planning enough?**

 **Commander: Nah, just let me get a bigger stick.**

 **Noble: We've beaten them with the entire tree at this point, what bigger stick is there?**

 **Commander:... I mean I'm sure I can find one. Anyway this chapter was a thing.**

 **Noble: A thing is a way to put it. Fortunately we have the next few chapters already written out so they should be posted relatively soon. Anyway, thanks for tuning in. We appreciate any and all feedback you have for us, reviews are very much appreciated (though not required), and we hope to see you guys next time!**


	44. Indecision

Pyrrha's mind was in shambles all week long. It was fairly early into the semester, and she had already been in quite a mess. First getting herself into a fight over Ruby and Weiss getting close during the movie marathon, combined with her storming out of the dorm in a fit. She didn't start her year off well. It also didn't help that she felt the need to 'prove how she felt to Ruby', and got another tattoo. The only consolation in that was her tattoo came out pretty well.

Now she was trying to get her head on straight as she had her first soccer game of the year. What was worse was that it was against one of the school's biggest rivals, Haven Academy. Pyrrha really needed to step up and knock it out of the park. Her mind was playing tricks on her, and she didn't like it.

She turned to see the crowd start gathering in the stadium. Pyrrha was expecting a good turnout, even though it was 9 am on a Sunday morning; the people here did love their sports after all. It was mostly students too, much to Pyrrha's surprise. She figured that it would be mostly parents, maybe a few students, considering the size of the school.

That's when she saw Weiss.

Pyrrha couldn't help but stare at Weiss. She saw that Weiss was there by herself, meaning she came to that game for one reason, and one reason alone: to see her play.

For some reason, it gave a surge of confidence in Pyrrha, yet also a feeling of unease. Pyrrha and Weiss didn't really speak all that much after that little blow up in the dorms. In all honesty, Pyrrha knew she should've handled that better. She needed to make it up to her somehow.

Though she could still remember what happened almost a year ago.

It was what happened that caused her to understand herself more. It was with Weiss, back when they had that power outage and Weiss got scared. How the two of them shared a bed together. Weiss had been one of the people who she opened up to about this, she was the person who stayed behind when she couldn't join the others for their hike during the camping trip. In a way, Weiss was involved just as much as Ruby was.

That led to memories about that truth or dare game they had. Pyrrha didn't know what to think of taking a body shot off of Weiss, but what was done was done. It drove her insane to think she had that close of an intimate moment with the white haired girl, and that she would've loved to do something that intimate again, in a much more private setting.

Because of that, Pyrrha felt so conflicted about this whole thing. She knew without a shadow of a doubt that she had feelings for Ruby. It was almost obvious to everyone in the dorms, except maybe Ruby herself. Weiss on the other hand, she was an anomaly to Weiss. She always felt like she could open up to Ruby, but Weiss, when they were together, it didn't matter what they were doing. It felt right to Pyrrha. She had been balancing the thoughts in her head, trying to put the pieces together for so long.

That was until she saw the red and white duo in what she could describe as snuggling up together.

Most people didn't see the way she also looked at Weiss, how she saw the alabaster girl. Pyrrha would subtly try and steal a glance from her white haired cohort. Try to do some of the little things that strengthened their bond. Without even realizing it, Pyrrha had laid the foundation for something she didn't even know could be a possibility. And it's what made seeing Ruby and Weiss being so close together so painful.

Pyrrha had a long time back home to think, she couldn't get her head wrapped around what to do, and it'd been killing her inside as she tried to find answers to questions she didn't have yet.

Weiss stared directly back into her eyes, ice blue lining up in sync with emerald; it brought Pyrrha out of her stupor and she could feel her face light up. Pyrrha gave a weak smile and a meek wave towards her dorm mate.

What surprised her, was that Weiss gave her a kind smile, and waved back to her.

That got Pyrrha to smile, and she was able to, at least temporarily, put her thoughts behind her.

"Good luck out there!" Weiss shouted down to her friend.

Pyrrha nodded, and then proceeded to make her way onto the field to start warming up.

* * *

Everyone knew this game was going to be a close contest, but no one was expecting it to be this intense. Pyrrha knew she would have one or two bruises by the end of the game from a couple of heated plays. Haven was playing aggressively, much more so than any one of them anticipated.

Pyrrha had been matched up with this one girl all game, someone the other team referred to as Cinder. They had traded more than their share of shoves. Surprisingly, the refs had been very lenient with the calls, mostly letting the players settle it, and stepping in when they felt it was necessary.

The game was coming close to the end, and it still remained scoreless.

Pyrrha had been going back and forth throughout the game, running from one side of the field to the other. It had been intense from the get go, but she wasn't anywhere near done.

Taking a jump cut, she managed to get Cinder to bite on it and made a beeline for the ball, sliding in order to send it downfield. The only problem was that she wasn't aware of just how closely Cinder had been catching up to her.

As Pyrrha slid, she sent the ball downfield, and within a second, she saw a cleat heading right to her face.

Pyrrha tried to duck out of the way as fast as she could, but she didn't completely clear the angle of her opponent's foot, and she felt cleats scrape against her face, just barely missing her eye.

The entire audience let out an audible gasp, though Pyrrha herself didn't even feel any pain. She wasn't sure what everyone was freaking out about, though the anger welling up inside of her blocked those thoughts out. She immediately stood up and got right up into Cinder's face, getting ready to lash out at the black haired girl. She saw the smirk on Cinder's face as she approached, only adding into her fury.

Before Pyrrha knew it, she had arms wrapped around her, her teammates doing everything they could to stop a conflict from happening. The ref of course took action, and handed out a red card to Cinder for her actions. Despite pleas and complaints from Cinder, it didn't change the fact that she had penalized Pyrrha.

Pyrrha had been driven to the sideline by her team, Reese especially. It wasn't until she looked up to Weiss, and saw her horrified expression, that she finally felt herself calm down and take notice of how badly she was hurt. She started to feel something wet on the right side of her face. She reached up to touch what it was, and when she pulled back, all she saw was red.

It was only then that she finally felt the pain of being hurt. Her head started pounding, the gash that was above her eyebrow pouring blood over her face. Members of the training staff reached her, covered her face with towels and walked her over to the health center at the school fieldhouse. All the while they were speaking to her and keeping her talking so that they could make sure she was fine.

After a little bit of time, Pyrrha realized that another person had joined them, much to the chagrin of the trainer's staff. It was surprising to hear Weiss' voice throughout all of this, and how she sounded so worried for her. If half of Pyrrha's face wasn't already red from her own blood, she would be red from the heat that was rising there.

It was all a blur though. Everything seemed to happen so fast, from the time she got hurt to the moment when the medical staff told her that they had finished up putting the stitches in and closed the wound. Before she knew it, Pyrrha was slowly walking out of the fieldhouse with a bandage on her forehead, Weiss walking to her the entire time.

"Pyrrha, take it easy," Weiss said, concern enveloping her voice as clear as day. "They told you that you shouldn't be moving too much, and that you won't be practicing for the next few days. So let's get you back to the dorm room so you can rest."

"Not yet," Pyrrha said before her mind could process the words.

"What?" Weiss replied, beside herself that Pyrrha wouldn't take this seriously. "You can't be serious."

Pyrrha then looked at Weiss, and with a small smile, she wrapped her arm around the smaller girl. "I'm taking you out to lunch before we go back."

"Again, you can't be serious."

"Weiss," Pyrrha started, standing in front of Weiss and staring down at her. "I'm going to go out to lunch. Since you're concerned about me so much, you might as well tag along. Plus, it'll give us a good chance to talk to each other."

"No, we're not going anywhere except for the dorms. Now seriously, let's get going," Weiss demanded, pulling Pyrrha along with her. Or at least, she was attempting to, had Pyrrha not pulled back and was clearly winning this round.

"If you want to go back to the dorms, then go on ahead," Pyrrha countered. "I'm going out, if you want to join me, then be my guest. If not, then I'll understand."

Now Weiss was the one in a pickle, she didn't want to leave Pyrrha alone, but she also didn't want Pyrrha being stubborn. In her mind, she was trying to figure out which was the lesser of the two evils in this case. Be the demanding bossy person most people made her out to be, or let Pyrrha forgo her own rest and go out to eat with them.

After a few moments, she just spoke up and didn't really think of her answer.

"Ugh, alright, we'll go out," Weiss conceded. "But I'm driving. You are not going to be exerting yourself while you're under my care."

"Aw, that's so sweet of you," Pyrrha beamed. "I knew you cared a lot about me."

Weiss almost tripped as she didn't expect that response from Pyrrha. "I-I… you… that… you.. " Weiss' brain had almost stopped working for a second, her face turning almost as red as Pyrrha's hair.

Wrapping an arm around Weiss, Pyrrha began to lead her over to her car. "Come on, let's get going to our little lunch date."

Weiss' face only got worse than before.

* * *

It was quite a surprise to Weiss that she was having such a good time with Pyrrha, all things considered.

The last time they really spoke to each other, it ended in an argument between the two of them, so she wasn't entirely confident about going to the game in the first place. It was only when Blake helped convince her that her initial plan was a great idea did she agree to it. And she did her best to show support to Pyrrha during the game itself.

Of course, everything changed the second she saw Pyrrha get hurt. She was horrified, and it only got worse once she saw Pyrrha's face bleeding as much as it did. Weiss knew she was scared of what had happened, she was beyond worried for Pyrrha, and whatever problems the two of them were having could go to hell. When Weiss reached Pyrrha, she felt like she was on the verge of tears over seeing someone she considered an extremely close friend hurt.

Weiss sat in the trainer's room while the staff worked on stitching up Pyrrha's face. To her, time seemed to be going beyond slow, and it was agonizing to watch every stitch get pulled through. The entire time, Weiss held onto Pyrrha's hand, keeping that connection there, squeezing every now and then just to let Pyrrha know she was still there, and subconsciously remind herself that Pyrrha would be fine.

Afterwards, Pyrrha's stubbornness led the two of them to getting lunch together. And Weiss drove Pyrrha's car surprisingly well. Having learned that she needed to figure out how to drive on her own, she spend a part of her summer behind the wheel, getting the hang of it in the safety of her family manor. First time on the roads in Pyrrha's car was intimidating, but she was glad that Pyrrha had confidence in her.

"So, what's on your mind, Weiss?" Pyrrha asked. Her face was all sorts of colors, mostly ranging from the purple to red range, at least where she was hurt in the first place. The rest of her face in general was pretty fine.

"Huh?" Weiss asked, not really paying much attention beforehand.

Pyrrha let out a sigh, setting her tea down and looking over at Weiss. The pair was in an old cafe, resting along the corner in a booth that was there. It was a good thing the place was relatively quiet at that point, it made things much more relaxing for the two of them.

"Can we talk… about what happened last week?" Pyrrha requested, quietly speaking to her friend.

Weiss knew that this was coming at some point, at least it seemed to be a calm event this time around. "I guess we should talk about that."

"Well, I don't think it's necessarily that we need to talk about it, but more along the lines of I need to apologize to you," Pyrrha replied. "I honestly shouldn't have gotten as upset as I did, it wasn't fair to either you or Ruby."

"I know you didn't mean it, and all things considered, I should apologize to you too," Weiss replied. "I mean, I've been actively avoiding you, and I wasn't sure I wanted to go to your game today. Blake had to convince me to go."

"You have nothing to apologize for though," Pyrrha said, waving a hand in front of Weiss and not letting her take any blame in this.

"I do," Weiss sighed. "What I said was pretty terrible. I know how much you care for Ruby. Honestly, I'm jealous of what the two of you have."

"It's not that though," Pyrrha groaned, gently running a hand through her hair. "It wasn't that I was upset when Ruby ended up choosing you. It's that the two of you gotta be so close to each other."

"Which is why I'm apologizing," Weiss countered again. "You deserve to be happy too, so I shouldn't have been so selfish."

"You're missing the point."

"It doesn't seem like it to me," Weiss argued.

"Weiss, I need you to listen to me," Pyrrha said, inching her way closer to Weiss. "I was upset that you both had grown so close to each other… without me."

With Pyrrha inches away from her face, Weiss was starting to get a clearer picture in her head. And she was slowly putting pieces together in her own heart. "So, it's not just Ruby that you were upset over seeing like that?"

"Do you remember almost a year ago… " Pyrrha started to say. "...You and I sharing a bed together during that power surge? Do you realize what started during that? Something so small in the grand scheme of things, and now it's led to where we are now. You know what has been the catalyst for that realization? You. Not Ruby. You."

"Pyrrha, what are you saying exactly?" Weiss asked, not sure whether she felt elated, or worried.

"I'm saying, that I'm not entirely sure I have my own emotions and attractions set in stone. I don't know if I've fallen for one or the other. I'm saying that what hurt was seeing that both of the people I've been having feelings for were sharing a moment together that I couldn't be a part of," Pyrrha rambled.

It started to get the gears turning in Weiss' own mind, the things she was feeling. She remembered the moment Pyrrha was talking about earlier, the feeling of safety and care from being in Pyrrha's arms that night. The fear she had over Pyrrha being hurt once before, the worry she had that Pyrrha would be upset at her. Even now, her own overbearing worry had shown up for Pyrrha.

"I was upset over that, and it wasn't fair to the two of you that I acted that way," Pyrrha said. "I was arrogant and lashed out for no good reason. And for that, I'm sorry."

"Pyrrha?"

"Yeah?"

"What is it exactly that you want?" Weiss asked.

"What do you mean by that?"

"Do you want to be with me, or do you want to be with Ruby?"

Weiss watched as Pyrrha gave the question some thought, before closing her eyes and letting her head lean backwards. "I don't think I can make that kind of choice. At least not now. To have one but lose the other? I'd sooner lose you both if it made you happier, but I think we saw what kind of person I'd be."

Seeing Pyrrha in such a state, Weiss acted without thinking, moving from her own booth over to Pyrrha's and leaning into the taller girl's shoulder. "I wish I knew the answer too."

"Worst case scenario, one of us gets hurt," Pyrrha mentions. "Time will pass, we'll probably get over it, and it may hurt for a while, but I promise I won't stop being friends with any of you guys over this."

"Good," Weiss replied. "I'd hate to have this hurt our friendship. Plus, you're really comfortable right now."

"Well, I'm glad you feel that way, Weiss."

"And besides," Weiss went on to say. "At this point, we couldn't get rid of each other if we wanted to. Not with Ruby keeping us all together."

"You could say that again."

The two stayed like that for a few minutes, enjoying each other's warmth.

"I forgive you, by the way," Weiss said, shifting her head to look up past the shoulder she was lying on.

Pyrrha turned her head and looked down to meet Weiss' eyes, "I forgive you too." The two shared a smile before blue eyes scanned around her face.

Weiss frowned and lifted her head off her temporary shoulder-pillow before reaching her hand up and guiding Pyrrha's face to look at her directly. "You may be stitched up, but the bandaging doesn't look great. Come on, you've had your fun, but it is seriously time to get you back to the dorm. Come on, I'll redress your wounds when we get back. Luckily the medics cleared you of a concussion, but I wanna be safe anyway."

Pyrrha smiled as she let Weiss drag her out of the cafe, her heart swelling with appreciation.

* * *

Sunday, September 4th

Dear Diary

I've been having these strange feelings again. It's almost like every time something happens, I get this nagging in the back of my head, warmth building up inside me.

Yang tells me that I'm starting to feel affection for other people, "that kind of affection", the kind that her and Blake have.

It's really weird, feeling this way, not knowing what you should be doing? I was almost afraid to tell her that I'm feeling these feelings for both Weiss and Pyrrha.

She said she already knew about it, but for some reason she didn't want to explain it to me. Still, Yang told me that I needed time to think about all these things. She suggested I gather my thoughts, put them onto paper, and let how I feel just flow.

So, that's what this entry is.

My entire emotional state as of the beginning of my sophomore year.

I've known for a little bit of time that I had been getting very close to Weiss, she was originally cold and off putting, but she eventually warmed up to me, and now we talk to each other all the time. I took her out for her birthday, and that went a lot differently than I expected it to go, and I knew she was happy after that moment. But me, I wasn't sure what I felt at all.

After that, we had our moments when we argued, but that's just a part of living together for as long as we do. Still, I share so much with Weiss, that I can't imagine what it would be like if she wasn't around. Heck I even spent so much of my time during the summer talking to her, I didn't even spend that much time with some of my friends from back home.

Then, there's Pyrrha. Boy has she been such a huge supporter for me since we got started. I'd be lying if I said she wasn't the first friend I made here at college. It seemed like instantly we connected, and we talked about anything and everything. Pyrrha's always pushing for me to do better as well, taking time out of her busy life to make room for helping me when she could. She sees the best in me, reminds me that I can do anything I want, and it shows.

I hate having to miss out on her games, I want to be there to support her, just as much as she supports me. But it's not just that, I remember when we all thought Pyrrha was missing, and I was worried sick that something happened to her. I remember feeling as though I was gonna cry at some points because I was that worried about her. That's how important she has become to me. I was talking with her during the rest of my free time during the summer, and I couldn't help but cherish every moment of it.

Weiss

Pyrrha

Why did I have to get stuck in this kind of predicament? Why can't I have an easier time at this? I don't know why, but I can't do it. I can't make a decision. I don't want to push one away, while bringing the other even further in. It's just not fair, it's not fair to me, and it's definitely not fair to Weiss and Pyrrha.

At least Yang was right that getting these down on paper helped me think a little bit clearer. If only it might also help me figure out what I should do.

I don't know what to do, what I want.

Hopefully I find out soon.

Thanks for listening to me ramble on and on (not like you have much of a reason to complain).

Ruby Rose 3

* * *

 **AN:**

 **Noble: Wow, hard to believe it's been 2 years since we started this story, huh.**

 **Ghost: And yet people are still reading it. Not bad.**

 **Shadow: Define reading. Seriously though, it's great to see this has reached the 2 year mark.**

 **Angel: We started this when I was still in High School… I miss High School…**

 **Noble: I was in College still. Twas a simpler time.**

 **Peace: God do I miss those times.**

 **Angel: A time when you two were able to talk every day.**

 **Peace: Nevermind, now is fine.**

 **Noble: Life's a bitch, but at least this story has been fun to write.**

 **Peace: True enough. I always look forward to hearing your thoughts and reactions.**

 **Noble: We honestly couldn't have done it without all of your feedback. I know I've grown as a writer in the past two years, and I think the others can agree on that matter.**

 **Ghost: Well, the only way to go is up!**

 **Angel: We did take a few breaks here and there to gather our thoughts and take some time, but we still managed to bounce back. And a lot of you were still waiting when we came back. So for that, Thank you.**

 ***TumbleZwei***

 **Shadow: Oh, yeah that was a thing we did. The TumbleZwei returns.**


	45. Test your Might (MORTAL KOMBAT)

"So, Weiss, how was lunch with Pyrrha the other day?"

Ruby had asked Weiss as the pair were walking across campus. The younger girl had asked Weiss to go with her to check out the academic fair and see all the different clubs that were presenting themselves to the student body. Since they were already on the academic side of campus, Weiss didn't see any problem with checking some of the clubs out.

Weiss had been extremely contemplative ever since the weekend. That was about four days ago, and her mind had been all over the place. Despite everything that had happened with Pyrrha getting hurt, and then the two of them going out for a meal together, it made Weiss question everything she had felt up till now.

Her mind had been plagued with so many questions. " _Why did I feel like I wanted that meal to never end? Do I actually have some feelings for Pyrrha? What about Ruby? Do I have feelings for her instead? Do I like both of them? What is my heart trying to tell me?"_

"Oh, um, well…"

"You seem to be a bit distracted, everything alright?" Ruby had asked, concern flowing over her face as her roommate seemed to be very thoughtful.

"I'm just concerned about Pyrrha," Weiss said. "You saw how bad it was, she was lucky that she wasn't cut directly on her eye. If it had been about an inch lower, then she could've been blinded. Now she has about 20 something stitches in her head, right above her eyebrow, and it's like she doesn't feel concerned about it at all."

"Well, that's what happens with athletes, I'm sure you've been there before," Ruby mentioned.

"Seeing as how I have this hideous scar on my face, yeah, I know very well how dangerous it can be," Weiss rebutted. "It's why I'm so concerned about her nonchalance towards the whole thing."

"Weiss, you know it actually looks good on you, I actually think it makes you look kinda cute!" Ruby mentioned.

' _HERE WE GO AGAIN, HEART, BRAIN, PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, GET ON THE SAME WAVELENGTH, AND STOP THINKING ABOUT THIS FOR MORE THAN AN HOUR, PLEASE!'_ Weiss screamed inside her own head.

"In any case, I'm sure Pyrrha will be fine," Ruby continued. "From what I saw of videos recorded during the game, she seemed to be more angry at the person who did that than hurt, don't you think?"

"I guess, so," Weiss conceded. "Now, what are we going to go and check out first, if you don't mind me asking?" She asked as the two made their way up to the fairgrounds and saw dozens of booths in front of them, all advertizing different clubs and activities.

"There's this martial arts demonstration that's going on today in the Student Union Building's ballroom. Yang suggested I at least go to see it," Ruby said. "Don't know why, but hey, it's the activity fair, so I'm sure it'll be a nice benefit to the martial arts club to have an actual demo on campus, don't you think?"

"I suppose so," Weiss agreed. "I wonder who they will have going up against each other."

"Probably some people from a local karate club or something. Shouldn't be anything too extreme." Ruby replied.

"I'm sure that they would do that, maybe also have some professionals take the reigns as well," Weiss said.

"Well pros are a lot more fun to watch." Ruby said, smiling at the thought. "Maybe we can try out our own demonstration. What do you think?"

"I hardly think that would be a good example," Weiss rebuked. "Let's face it, you aren't your sister, and my training consists of more agility than strength. That wouldn't look well for either of us."

"Oh hey look, they're about to get started on one!" Ruby cheered, grabbing a hold of Weiss' hand and pulled her towards the stage.

Weiss held back a yelp from being pulled. "H-Hold on, Ruby. I can get there myself." She whined, trying to pull her hand away, but at the same time she felt her heart flutter from the contact.

"Thank you everyone for coming out to see this martial arts demonstration," the announcer spoke up to the surprisingly large crowd. "We have a great treat for you here today! In order to help us with this demonstration, we have two highly trained professionals joining us! So, let me introduce you to our guests."

After he spoke, the announcer turned towards the side of the stage, and out came two people that Ruby and Weiss recognized.

"Uncle Qrow?!"

"Winter?!"

They both shouted out at the same time, drawing confusion from the other.

"Both of them have extensive martial arts talents, and have volunteered their time in order to give a demonstration for you all." The announcer then turned to the both of them and spoke to them individually.

"Oh man, Uncle Qrow is soooo gonna kick that girl's butt," Ruby said.

"Oh really?" Weiss retorted. "Well I think that Winter will kick your Uncle's rear end all over the stage."

"Wanna make a bet on that?" Ruby challenged.

"What are you betting?" Weiss inquired.

"How about we wager who pays for our laundry for the next month?" Ruby declared.

"You have a deal!" Weiss agreed, extending her hand in order to seal the deal.

"Now that our participants have gotten set up, we're about to begin our demonstrations," the announcer continued. "Please go all out for our audience, in three, two, one… begin!"

The two fighters lowered themselves into their own respective fighting stances.

The crowd began to cheer on either side of the fighters, shouting for whoever they thought would win.

Winter decided to make the first move by inching closer to her opponent. Both of her fists were raised up to block any incoming strikes. While it was a more defensive stance, Ruby could see similarities with what she had seen Yang do.

Just by the way that Qrow moved, he looked confident. It wasn't evident whether he was wanting to play with Winter, see what she could do, or if he knew that this was going to be a complete beatdown.

Winter finally got to the striking range of Qrow and threw two quick jabs toward Qrow.

He easily stepped back from each strike, both of them connecting with the air.

Winter advanced in the middle of his retreat and gave another quick jab toward Qrow's side.

In return, Qrow avoided the strike by redirecting the punch to completely miss. If it had hit him, it would have struck his liver and would have hurt, like a lot.

Qrow threw his first punch, aiming for Winter's gut. The audience gasped as it looked like the strike had connected. Winter jumped back, knowing that she had to get out.

Winter stepped back a bit, returning to the original distance that the two of them started at.

"Nice block there." Winter said, taking a moment to size up her opponent.

"Thanks." Qrow said. "You're not so bad yourself. Those strikes were pretty quick."

"Those weren't quick. Those were pretty slow if you ask me." Winter replied.

"Excuse me for trying to be a gentleman and give you a compliment."

"You want to compliment me? You're more than welcome to buy me a drink after I kick your ass." Winter said smugly

"Did you just ask me out?" Qrow asked.

As he asked this, Winter launched herself at Qrow. Coming in low and fast. Winter raised herself up and launched countless jabs at the older man. Each one Qrow was able to block with a rhythmic image. Like he had been doing this for countless hours a day. Blocking and throwing blows while keeping the moves of the opponent in mind. Rinse and Repeat.

For a few seconds this is all they did. Trade and block punches, each of them trying to find a hole in the other's defence.

The first one to find said hole was Winter. Qrow had to block a swipe from Winter that left his side completely exposed. She threw a punch into his kidney and actually landed the first hit.

Qrow barely flinched before elbowing Winter in the chest.

She let out an audible "OOF!" as she began to retreat a few steps from her opponent.

"Ya'know if we are gonna go out on a date after this then you're gonna make me feel pretty bad for beating the tar outta ya." Qrow said as he let Winter fall back.

"It's like you're just toying with me." Winter observed.

Qrow shrugged. "Maybe I am."

Winter looked angry. "Well then why don't you come at me at your fullest." Winter challenged.

Qrow just sighed and shook his head. "Trust me when I say this, you really don't want that."

"She's fucked." Someone in the crowd said.

Winter gave a smug smile. "Bring it on, old man."

"I warned ya." Qrow said as he went on the offensive for the first time since the fight started.

He lunged forward and immediately swung his right leg out at Winter's own legs, trying to knocked her off balance.

Winter evaded the swipe by side stepping, while also defending for the follow up strike.

Qrow quickly came in with a punch aimed straight at her face. She ducked and weaved out of the way once more. She knew that his punches were strong, so she needed to avoid them as much as possible, even if she had to take a few steps back to avoid them. It would have been a cheap way of winning, but it was a strategy at that.

But it didn't look like Qrow was tiring at all. He kept a stone cold expression on his face with every strike that he made at her. Punch after kick was thrown at her. She was retreating to every space possible on the stage, but he was there just seconds after with another punch ready to go.

Her arms began to ache from the attacks that she blocked and she could feel her legs begin to strain. It wasn't enough for her to give up, but she could feel it building.

With a desperate attempt to swing the fight in her favor, she waited for a moment where Qrow's guard was at his weakest in between his strikes.

She planted her left leg under her and shifted slightly, the punch that was thrown glanced off her shoulder. Winter then grabbed the arm before it could be returned and pulled it towards her, the sudden momentum change took Qrow by surprise as he fell forward. Using the momentum, Winter turned and hoisted her opponent over her as he sailed head over heels. His back made firm contact with the stage, the loud sound echoing in the ballroom. Winter quickly pressed her advantage and pinned his waist down with her own.

People in the crowd cheered as the fight was finally nearing it's climax. But the winner was yet to be decided.

The two fighters found themselves on the ground with Winter straddling Qrow's abdomen. She launched punch after punch at Qrow's face, trying to get a break in his guard. But his arms blocked every single one of her strikes.

After about the thirteenth punch that she threw, she heard the man that sat below him sigh "Alright, that's enough."

The next second between Winter's strikes, Qrow acted and launched a quick punch straight into Winter's gut while her guard was down.

This was the second time that she had been hit there and this time she really felt it.

She felt her body fold in upon itself and Qrow then bent her to his will. Qrow was no longer under her. She was now face down on the matts and she could feel Qrow's arm around her neck, his knee on her spine and his other arm pinning her own arm to the ground.

That was it. She lost.

The crowd cheered while others, clearly rooting for the underdog, booed.

Ruby cheered, one reason for her uncle winning the fight, the other reason being that she didn't have to pay for her laundry for the rest of the month.

"Damn." Weiss said as she knew that she lost the bet. She was worried about her sister but she was also worried about the small hole that was now gonna form in her wallet.

At that point, Qrow got off of Winter, once she officially tapped on his arm to signal that she had conceded the fight. With a calm demeanor, and a little smile on his face, Qrow helped Winter up off of the ground and made sure she could stand upright. "Not bad kid," He complimented. "Haven't had to go that far in a couple years."

"Clearly you were the better fighter in this case," Winter said. "Beaten by a civilian, I feel ashamed of myself."

"Well you really shouldn't be," Qrow commented. "I'm only 46, but this old dog has learned plenty of tricks when I was around your age."

At this point the announcer came back onto the stage to congratulate the two. "Well done, that was a much more spectacular bout than I could have imagined." At that point he turned towards the crowd. "Now, do realize that these two are trained professionals, so their fighting techniques are much more advanced than anything we would be able to teach you right off the bat. With that said, does anyone have any questions for our competitors?"

As the announcer pointed to people to comment, the questions came in like crazy. But there were some people who were just plain rude. "I think the only reason she lost was because she was a girl."

That was close enough to send Winter into a tizzy. She was about to say something, but Qrow stepped down from the stage and got right up to the person. "Listen here kid, both of us could easily kick your ass if we wanted to. Just because she happens to be a woman doesn't discredit her capabilities. The only reason she lost is because I know that my training was much more intense than her's was. Not to belittle her, but she was fighting someone on a much higher level than she was, and she did very well, all things considered. So if you think you can do better, step up, and I'll knock you back down."

At that, Weiss moved forward while Qrow walked back up to the stage. "What exactly is your training, if you don't mind us asking?"

"I think I can answer that question," Someone else said from behind the crowd.

When Qrow and Winter looked to who it was, they immediately snapped to attention and saluted the man who had entered the room. "Admiral Ironwood, Sir." Winter called out to him.

"At ease," Ironwood responded, walking up to be in between the two of them. "To answer your question, Captain Schnee here has received Navy Officer Training, with advanced Martial Arts specialization, and she is the Executive Officer underneath myself aboard the S.S. Atlas. For Lieutenant Commander Branwen, he is a former Navy Seal, and as such received Navy Seal training, meaning he has much more specialized hand to hand combat training than Winter. Even in retirement, he has more experience, technique, and skill at his disposal."

Upon hearing that, Winter couldn't help but go wide eyed and look at Qrow with shock. She had just fought against a former Navy Seal, held her own to a certain extent, and was beaten after a pretty well fought fight. She no longer felt ashamed about losing that fight anymore.

"Ah, Jimmy, you give me too much credit. Winter did very well though, so I think she deserves some recognition more than I do," Qrow stated.

"Regardless, I was just stating facts," Ironwood retorted. "In any case, I apologize for taking up your time, Schnee, you have the rest of the day to relax before returning to deck. Dismissed."

"Sir!" Winter said, saluting the Admiral, who responded in turn.

"Qrow, it was a pleasure to see you again as well," Ironwood said as he shook the hand of the former Seal.

"Likewise."

At that Ironwood departed, and the event came to a close.

Ruby and Weiss approached the two as they chatted amongst themselves for a bit. "Ah, s'up kiddo?"

"OhmygoshUncleQrowthatwassoamazingandyouweresoepicandIdidn'trealizethatyoursisterwasmyroommateohmygodyouweresoawesomeaswellandWeisstoldmesomuchaboutyouandthisisjustsoawesome!" Ruby rambled as she excitedly stated when she arrived.

"Um, ok?" Winter replied.

"Sorry, she can get a little bit excitable," Weiss interjected. "Winter, this is my roommate, Ruby."

"Ah, so this is the Ruby you write so much about," Winter commented, a knowing smirk appearing on her face.

"Oh this should be good," Qrow mumbled to himself, a smirk appearing on his face as well.

Weiss tried her best to keep her composure, though it only went so well. "Yes, you could say that. In any case, I'm surprised to see you here."

"Well, I was in port and wanted to come for a visit, figured I would surprise my little sister," Winter began. "When I saw there was a martial arts demonstration, I decided to check that out before going out to see you. Next thing I know, the person running the event is asking if I know anyone who has martial arts training, and soon enough I'm facing Mr. Branwen here."

"Just call me Qrow," the black haired man commented. "No one calls me Mr. Branwen, and I don't want anyone to any time soon."

"Regardless, what a surprise this has turned out to be," Winter continued. "Since I have the rest of the day to spend, Weiss, would you like to go out for some coffee together? I missed being able to share some time with my little sister."

"I think I know of a good place we can go," Weiss responded swiftly. "I'll see you back at the room, Ruby. It was a pleasure to meet you too Mr Bra- umm sorry, Qrow."

"Same to you, any friend of Rubbles is a friend of mine," Qrow replied. "Besides, I'm sure Ruby will drag me over to the dorm and spend time with myself and Yang."

"So, you ready to go, Weiss?" Winter asked.

"Of course, lead the way," Weiss stated, following Winter out to her sister's rental car.

As the two of them walked, Winter reached into her pocket and found something odd, right up against the rear pocket of her pants. Pulling it out, she saw a business card with a logo for a place called the Crowbar. Flipping the card over, she saw a message on the back. "I'll take you up on that offer for a drink, feel free to call me at any time. - Qrow"

Winter could only shake her head and chuckle to herself as she put the business card back into her pocket for later. She'd have to ask Qrow how he managed to sneak a business card into her butt pocket when she met up with him for some drinks that night.

* * *

 **Angel: SMOOTH AS FUQ**

 **Martuna: DEY BOUT TO FUQ**

 **Noble: Well, it certainly has been a long time since we did anything with this story.**

 **Angel: Again.**

 **Noble: Thank you captain obvious. Your input is, as always, greatly appreciated. -_-**

 **Angel: You're welcome! Just remember that water is wet.**

 **Noble: Anyway, we've been pretty busy with our own works, I'm getting married in a few weeks, so we apologize for the massive delay between the last chapter and this one. Hopefully soon we can get back to work on this story!**

 **Angel: College sucks!**

 **Noble: You say that like life in general is any better.**

 **Angel: Just put me on an assembly line with music in my ears and I'll do life just fine.**

 **Noble: Anyway, as we always say, we appreciate any and all feedback you can pass out to us, so feel free to leave a review at your own discretion! Thank you once again and we hope to see you guys in the next chapter, whenever that is.**

 **Angel: Or maybe a desk job would suffice…**


End file.
